


Married by Forty (1) - Viva Las Vegas

by Fleppy85



Series: Married by forty [1]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: Sara and Sofia have to investigate a murder of a young woman who seems to be illegal in the USA. Are they dealing with slave trader? And what's with the rich and good looking mysterious man Keane, who seems to be interested in Sofia?
Relationships: Sofia Curtis/Sara Sidle
Series: Married by forty [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809649





	Married by Forty (1) - Viva Las Vegas

Part 1

“They sent the biggest bitch they have in the lab.“  
“They sent the smuggest detective in the PD.”   
Sara had been called to a crime scene in one of the less nicer areas in Las Vegas. A prostitute had been found dead in a dumpster. The first thing she found there was Sofia, waiting for her with a toothpick in her mouth.   
“How were your two days San Diego?” Sara got her gloves out of the kit.  
“I left the beach only for sleeping.”  
“You left it for sleeping or for something else?”  
“Yes, I slept, don’t think too bad of me.”  
“Come on, you in your bikini on the beach, I bet you won’t be longer than fifteen minutes alone if you want.”  
“Five.” Sofia cocked a brow.   
“Arrogant.”  
“Realist.”   
Sara smirked. She knew Sofia was right. But would never admit that. Instead of going further with this topic, she turned her attention back to the crime scene. “What do we have?”  
“Female db, no i.d., no wallet. I guess early twenties. A working girl, the way she’s dressed and nobody else would walk around here.”  
“Who found her?”  
“Anonymous 911 caller, female voice, they’ve sent the call to the lab, it came from a public phone. I sent an officer to it, he secures the scene for you. I won’t wait for you at a telephone box anymore.”  
“Thanks.” Sara ignored the hint. She had never led Sofia wait at a telephone box, she didn’t receive the call earlier. No matter how often she told that the blonde, she didn’t believe her.   
“You’re welcome. I’ll have a look around, don’t think we’ll find any surveillance cameras but you never know.”  
“I’ll get started.” A dumpster case, that meant, she had to climb in the dumpster and would stink for the rest of the night. No wonder nobody wanted to join her.   
The body was on top of what looked like restaurant waste. Great, together with a lot fibers and food, Sara had good chances of DNA of people eating spare-ribs and leaving their saliva on the bones, that transferred it on the body. 

“We’ve got no surveillance, no witnesses and no signs of struggle.” Sofia came back, kept a straight face when she found Sara in the dumpster. It was obvious that Sara smelled as bad as she looked. Her jumpsuit was full with dirt of whatever was in the dumpster. She had stopped counting what different kind of food and sauces she had on her clothes. All she was trying to do was keeping her face clean. So far it worked – she hoped.   
“Nobody sees anything in this area.”  
“Yeah.” Sofia cocked her head while she beheld Sara interested. “You know, you’re probably the nicest thing this dumpster has ever seen.”  
Sara got up and looked confused at Sofia. “What do you want?” There had to be something wrong or the blonde wanted a favor. Otherwise there was no reason for her to say something like that.   
“Why do you think I want something?”  
“I’m the nicest thing this dumpster has ever seen?”  
“I said probably. Until one minute ago because now it can see me.”  
“Besides the fact that a dumpster can’t see because it has no eyes, you don’t count because you’re outside and who said you look better than I do?”  
“Shall we go out the next time we’ve got a night off and try who gets the most guys?”  
“No. You are too old for this kind of stupid game and I am too sensible.”  
“Coward.”  
“Detective, concentrate on the case, please.”  
“Sorry. I talked to a few girls around, they said our vic hasn’t worked the streets, at least not in this area. Nobody has seen her before.”  
“This is not the primary crime scene. There’s not enough blood around. But she doesn’t look like street.”  
“No, she looks upper class. It’s a little bit later now but I want to hit the hot spots later. Do you want to come with me? After your shower of course.”  
“If I go this way nobody will lay a hand on me.”  
“Nobody will get close to you, nobody will talk to you and I won’t share a car with you.”  
“And I thought you love me.” Sara tried to look insulted what wasn’t that easy when you tried at the same not to breath through your nose because of the smell.   
“I do – when you’re clean. How much longer will you need?”  
“The dumpster is full, I doubt you’ll help me, so it will take some more time. Three hours.”  
“I’ll catch you in four hours in the lab, after your shower and your first report. I try to find something out about her. It would be easier with a name and an address.”  
“She hasn’t been dead for a long time, four hours.”  
“Probably too early for missing persons but I’ll give it a try. See you in a bit.”  
“Later, detective.”

“You smell better.”  
“You’re still smug.” Sara rubbed her hair dry.   
“It’s in my blood.”  
“That’s what I reckon. What did you find out?”  
“Nobody listed her as missing. What about DNA and fingerprints?”  
“It’s all in the lab, they’re running it.”  
“Good. Would be nice to have a name. Are you ready?”  
“Yes. Where do we go?”  
“To the crème de la crème of Vegas working girls. There are not so many high end working girls.”  
“In a place where prostitution is prohibited it’s clear you make a lot of money with it. What’s the first destination?”  
“We will visit an old friend.”  
“An old friend?” Sara sat next to Sofia in the car. She didn’t know Sofia had old friends in the scene of working girls and pimps. The detective could surprise all the time.   
“Yes. Lady Heather.”  
“Heather? This girl didn’t look like she worked SM.”  
“Not as the submission part, no. But maybe she was the dominant one or wanted to work for Heather. She is anyway a good start.”  
“She won’t tell you anything more than anybody else.”  
“I know. But maybe she’ll tell you more.”  
“Sofia, are you going to use me to get information? In a not professional way?”  
“Come on, since you and Grissom are not…whatever you were…”  
“A couple.”   
“Awful thought.” There was no need to pretend anything, Sofia knew about Sara and Grissom. They have talked about that often enough, even if the blonde was never a fan of the relationship. She and Sara were friends, no doubt, but that didn’t mean, they had the same taste and same opinion about everything and everybody. And as much as Sofia liked Grissom and worth shipped him as a person and a CSI, she couldn’t imagine him as a lover of Sara. The age gap was too big for Sofia’s taste and Grissom didn’t seem to be that kind of person the brunette needed to be happy. They were in many ways the same but there were some really big differences between them in the emotional area, that Sofia wasn’t surprised that this relationship didn’t work out. Sara was very sensitive, she needed somebody who paid a lot of attention to her mood and emotions.  
“You’re jealous.”  
“Yes I am. I’m not quite sure of whom, but that’s a thing I can figure out later. I’ll never understand why you picked him.”  
“I like smart people with power. And we had this thing going on between us right from the first time we met.”  
“So had we.”  
“Yeah, I hated you.”  
“You don’t hate me anymore.”  
“No, I don’t. After I got you away from Grissom and him to pick me, I was fine with you around.”  
“And now you’re both on the market again. I might try to get one of you later.”  
“Maybe we don’t want you.”  
“Impossible.” Sofia laughed. She knew that Sara knew she was only joking and she was happy, they could share these jokes. “I know Heather won’t tell you more than me, but we can try it anyway.” She got back to the case.   
“Yeah. I haven’t seen Heather for a long time.”  
“Professional or private?” Sofia smirked.  
“Both”  
“Well, we’ll change that.”  
“Both?” Now Sara was smirking.   
“Would you like to visit Lady Heather with me while we are not on duty? What would you like to do with me there, Sara?”  
“Maybe you’ll find out one day.”  
“Sounds like a promise.”  
“Detective, you should concentrate on the case we’re on and get your dirty fantasies out of your head.”  
“You asked if we can change that you see Heather after work.”  
“You forgot there’s no ‘we’.”  
“Sara, there is a ‘we’. We are colleagues. We are friends. We are crazy.”  
“If Brass and Gil would hear what we talk while we are supposed to think about how to catch a killer, they’d fire us.”  
“They don’t fire their best girls.”  
“Are you always that arrogant?”  
“Imbibed it with my mother’s milk.”  
“Looks like. And it still there, like Obelix and the magic potion. But your body isn’t that round.”  
“Thanks got for that. Don’t compare me to a fat comic guy. Take at least somebody nice, Cinderella for example.”  
“Sleepy Beauty.”  
“Now you’re talking. Let’s see if we can make Heather talk too.” Sofia parked the car in front of Lady Heather’s house. According to the cars in front of it, it was still busy. Five in the morning and people were still out, looking for some pain; giving or receiving.   
“Sex sells.”  
“We might be in the wrong business.” Sara said.  
“If we would change, I’m sure we would be very successful. But I think we’re perfect where we are.”  
“Yeah, you’re right.” They rang the bell. It was Lady Heather herself who opened the door. Sara knew about the camera over the door, she was sure, Heather had seen them.   
“Detective Curtis, Sara, what can I do for you?”  
“Good morning.” Sara smiled. “We’re here on business.”  
“I didn’t expect anything else of you.” The Lady laughed warmly.   
“May we come in?” Sara had no idea why but Lady Heather made her always very polite.   
“You may.” Lady Heather guided them to a small room, offered them a sofa and walked to a cabinet.   
“Being on the job I don’t have to offer you any alcohol. Would you like coffee?”  
“This isn’t a social call.” Sofia started.  
“Detective Curtis, still impatience and kind of rude. I wonder why I confuse you so much. Do I scare you?”  
“No!” Sofia answered a little bit too fast.   
“We’d love some coffee, thanks Heather.” Sara laid her hand for a second on Sofias and smiled at her friend. No need to get harsh, Heather wasn’t a suspect, she was a source..   
“I thought so. Black and cream with one sugar?”   
“Yes.” Sofia had to swallow. Why did the dominatrix know how she drank her coffee? They had met once, Sofia wasn’t even sure if she had coffee at that time and Lady Heather seemed to know this little detail.   
“It’s my job to read people, detective.”  
“I didn’t know you’re a psychic too. I thought you’re a dominatrix.”  
“Are you distracted by that?”  
“No I am not. And we are not here to talk about that.” Sara put her hand back on Sofia and shook her head. The detective was over-reacting.   
“Really?” Lady Heather came with three cups of coffee back to the table.   
“Heather, we found the body of a young woman this night.” Sara held her hand on Sofias. “She was left dead in a dumpster and we think, she was a working girl. Would you mind taking a look at a photo? In case you saw here before. We’ve no i.d. and nothing so far that can tell us who she was.”  
“I certainly can take a look.” Heather smiled softly at Sara.  
“Thank you.” Sara took a photo out of her kit and handed it over to Heather.   
The Lady took a long look at it.   
“She didn’t work here, I don’t think she ever came to here and asked for a job. But she didn’t work the streets.”  
“No, we don’t think she did.”  
“She wears pretty expensive stuff. No jewels, but she used to wear some.”  
“Yes, earrings, ring, a bracelet.”  
“I’m sorry I can’t help you about her identity.”  
“It was worth a try.” Sara sighed.   
“You don’t need a dead body to come along, Sara.”  
“I know. Thanks.”  
“We’ve to go on.” Sofia got up.   
Lady Heather smiled about the almost flight of the detective. “Sit down, detective. I said I can’t help you about her identity, that doesn’t mean I can’t help you at all. You’re too impatience.”  
Sara stopped herself from chuckling.   
“Are you playing us?” Sofia snapped.   
“No, I’m not.” Heather ignored Sofia’s temper. “See this?” She pointed on the skirt.  
“Of course.”  
“This one is a special skirt, you get it in only one shop in the whole city: SHEWEARS. They have nothing else in their shop than their own brand. The price is five hundred minimum. The most popular shop with the rich ones. That tells me your girl was either a wealthy woman but they don’t end up working this kind of job or she had a rich man.”  
“A rich man who wanted to get rid off her.” Sara said.   
“Or got killed too but dumped somewhere else.” Sofia suggested.   
“You’ll find out.”  
“Thanks Heather.” Sara got up. “We’ll have a look around the shop.”  
“Good luck with that.” Heather got up and brought them to the front door. “Whenever you’ve got further questions, don’t hesitate to come or call. I wish you a successful night, detective. Sara.”  
“See you around, Heather.” Sara smiled.  
“Good bye.” Sofia was very happy to be out of the house and walked fast to her car.   
“Can I ask you something?” Sara asked.   
“Sure.”  
“What is it about Heather that makes you uneasy?”  
“She doesn’t make me uneasy.” Sofia grumbled.   
“Since when are you lying to me?”  
“I don’t.” Sofia stopped in front of a traffic light and turned to Sara. “I…I don’t know.”  
“She won’t hurt you.”  
“Why does she know how I like my coffee?”  
“You’re the cream and sugar type.”  
“Am I? Why?”  
“Well, black is for us realistic geeks, cream is for the ones who like to play and one sugar for all the fans of sweets who want to keep their gorgeous body.”  
“You think my body is gorgeous?” Immediately Sofia’s bad mood was gone. She loved compliments.   
“Sofia, she won’t hurt you.”  
“I know, I’m the one with the gun.”  
“No need to attack her. Even if she’d tried to hurt you, I’d have been there to save you.”  
“Saving is my job.”  
“You know what I mean.”  
“I don’t know.” Sofia started driving again. “She just….I can’t explain.”  
“Well, the next time you’ll relax a little bit more. She likes you.”  
“What? Why?”  
Sara laughed. Sofia’s questions sounded very anxious.   
“Okay, for your sake: She likes me and she knows I like you and that’s why she likes you. Can you live with that?”  
“You are making that up.”  
“Yes, I don’t like you.”  
“Shut up.” Sofia nudged Sara. “Tell me where to go next?”  
“The next left. We can leave the shop for later.”  
“It won’t open before ten.”  
“I love long shifts.”  
“Let’s say we go to the shop, get all the information, head back to the lab, have lunch and sleep?”  
“Sounds like a date.”  
“I wouldn’t connect a date with work.”  
“We’ll be absolutely tired after lunch….turn the next right, please…what do you think of, we get some food and eat at my place? After that you can drop on the couch and don’t need to drive.”  
“Sounds perfect to me.”  
“Chinese?”  
“I love cookies.”  
“Yes, you can have mine too.”  
“I love you too.”  
“Tell me something I don’t know. At the end of the street left.”  
“Who’s the smug one now?”  
“Who’s right?”  
“You. For both.”  
“As usual. All right, here we are. SWEETEST LADIES.”  
“You’ll stay right by my side, I don’t want to lose you in there. I’m afraid the first guy will grab you because you fit perfect to this club when I see the name.”  
“Stop it, Detective Slimy.”  
“Some women can’t take compliments.” Sofia grinned and got out of the car. 

“Two thousand dollar for a top?” Sara stared at the shop window. They couldn’t be serious, they must have printed one ‘0’ too much. At least.   
“Sara, Sara, that shows, you’ve no idea of fashion.” Sofia looked at the top. “It’s not two thousand dollar for a top, it’s two thousand dollar for a lifestyle, for a statement.”  
“What statement?”  
“Look I paid two grants for an ugly top!”  
“Oh.” Sara had to laugh. For a moment she had thought Sofia was serious about the top. The detective had an expensive taste for suits, it was rare to see her in anything else but two grants for a top? An ugly one.   
“Come on, maybe we’ll find something we like.”  
“Even if we do we won’t afford it.”  
“A pair of socks?”  
“In other shops you’ll get one of your snobby suits for that money.”  
“Don’t mocking me for my suits, Sidle.”  
“One day, Curtis I want to see you in sweat pants, an old t-shirt and sneakers with holes.” Sara opened the door to let Sofia in the shop. Now she could see where they got the huge prices from; they didn’t use much material and what they saved on that, they added it on the price. A good way to make a lot of money.   
“May I help you?” A woman in her thirties came to them. Her face showed clearly that she would prefer to help Sara and Sofia to find their way out of the shop ASAP. Did they look that bad? Or too poor to afford the clothes?   
“I bet you can.” Sofia grinned. She had caught the glimpse of the woman at her badge. No need to play. And she didn’t like to play with people she didn’t like.  
“I am detective Curtis, that’s Miss Sidle with the crime lab. We’re looking for a black skirt with silver stones on it that look like diamonds.”  
“Little sparkling secret.” The little golden pin on her top said AIDEN. Sofia wondered if Aiden only didn’t mentioned her name to the police or if she never introduced herself. But probably it was because Sara and Sofia weren’t clients and meant trouble.   
“What?”  
“The skirt you’re looking for is called ‘Little sparkling secret’.” The shop assistant was serious when she said that. They gave their skirts stupid names.   
“How many of them do you sell?”  
“A day?”  
“Let’s make it a month.”  
“Ten.”  
“How much are they?”  
“Only five hundred. It’s the cheapest skirt we have.”   
Sofia resisted to ask how much the most expensive one was, but she afraid she’d start to laugh because of the price.   
“Did you sell one to her?” She held the photo of the victim out  
“I don’t think this woman can afford our clothes.”  
“She’s wearing one of your – cheapest – skirts.”  
“Yes, she is. But I doubt she bought it herself.”  
“Did you see her in this shop?”  
“No.”  
“Who else works here?”  
“We’re four. The first one starts at nine in the morning until four. The second one at two until nine and the third at four until eleven in the evening. One is having a day off this way.”  
“We need to talk to your colleagues.”  
“Do you really think that’s necessary?”  
“Do I really think it’s necessary? Let me think, I’ve got photo of a young woman in a dumpster, what means, she must be a little bit dead because most people alive don’t sleep in dumpster. The last time I’ve checked killing people was against the law in Nevada, in fact, in the whole US, so yes, I think it’s necessary. If you don’t share my opinion I’m afraid I can’t change your mind but I can close down your shop for a few hours and invite you to come with me downtown.”  
“I can give you their names and their telephone numbers.”  
“Now we’re talking.” Sofia smiled wide.   
The woman turned and walked to the back of the shop.   
“Who’s the bitchy one?” Sara asked dryly.   
“She is.”  
“You’re better than her.”  
“I’m always the better one.”  
“Are you?” Sara cocked her head.  
“Yes. There’s only one exception: You. We are even. That’s why I like to work with you, I’ve to go to my limits to be not the second best.”  
“You’re weird.”  
“You are standing in a shop that wants your monthly pay for a handbag, you call me weird?”  
“You’re here with me.”  
“Kick some asses.”  
“You do that perfectly.”  
“I do everything perfect.”  
“Oh come on, Smuggy.”  
“Smuggy? What’s a Smuggy?”  
“You. It’s another word for Sofia.”  
“Here are the list with the information you want.” The woman handed a little sheet over to Sofia.   
“That’s something we can work on. Thank you very much, Aiden.” Sofia put the sheet in her pocket. “Oh, we might be back for more questions, please stay available, will you?” Without waiting for an answer the blonde turned and walked away.   
Sara smiled shortly at the shop assistant and followed her colleague and friend.   
“The next time you’re in that shop she’ll stab you with her high heels.”  
“Working in a slut shop doesn’t mean she can handle heels. But I’d love her to try. I’ll get you back in the lab, catching up on the evidence, I’ll make some calls to get these three ladies in front of our eyes today and come back to get you for lunch.”  
“All right.”  
“Shall I get the one who’s off today to the department at eight and we’ll go over and see the other two in the shop before nine? This way we might have a look who is shopping there.”  
“And if we’re really lucky one of the shop assistants can remember her and the man who paid for the skirt is in the shop while we are there.”  
“That’s too easy.”  
“Sometimes easy is nice.”  
“Yeah, but the satisfaction is bigger when you win a difficult battle.”  
“This is war?”  
“Honey, life is war.” 

“I’m starving.” Sofia literally dug into her food, her wet hair from the shower carelessly pulled back in a ponytail.   
“I can see that. Looks like the lioness is getting fed.”  
“Lion queen.” She snuggled into the couch. While Sofia had taken a shower Sara had prepared their lunch. With their take away Chinese food it wasn’t that difficult, all she did was getting some bowls, chopsticks and something to drink.   
“The only thing I don’t like about Chinese food is, beer doesn’t really fit to it.” Sofia took a sip of her juice.  
“Rice beer?”  
“Are you sure that’s good stuff?”  
“I don’t know, we can try the next time.”  
“A beer testing night? We’ll hit the liquor shop and buy all the different kinds of beer we don’t know.”  
“And after that we’ll go to a clinic for detox.”  
“You’ve got an amazing way of destroying funny plans. You must have been very popular in college.”  
“I was a party girl, absolutely.”  
“Yeah sure. Geek.”  
“Smuggy.”  
“You know calling me self-made pet names is like flirting, bear in mind what you are saying, Miss Sidle.”  
“I’ll keep that in mind, Miss Curtis.”  
“Detective Curtis.”  
“Get your lieutenant.”  
“Become a supervisor.”  
“And work directly under Ecklie? Handle all the paper shit? No thanks, I prefer to work the scenes, write my reports and that’s it.”  
“With you being a supervisor you could send yourself to all the scenes I am.”  
“Why would I do that?”  
“You like working with me.”  
“Smuggy.”  
“You can call me whatever you want, it doesn’t change anything of the fact that I am right.” Sofia smirked and leant back, the box with her food in her hand.  
“Sure. Tell me more about San Diego.”  
“Time was too short to see anything of the city, but I had a lovely apartment not too far away from the harbor and as I said before, spent the whole day on the beach. A little bit of swimming, a lot of reading, relaxing. Beach holidays in two days.”  
“And an apartment for free.”  
“That’s the benefit of house exchanging.” Sofia had registered her apartment on a web page for house and apartment exchanging. Meant, while she was in San Diego enjoying the beach, a couple was in Las Vegas enjoying her apartment.   
“Doesn’t it feel strange to go somewhere with the knowledge a stranger is in your apartment, sleeps in your bed, uses your shower? And you do the same in somebody else’s apartment.”  
“The first times it did, yes. But you have some contact with them before via email and can call them, so it’s not a totally stranger and you meet each other at one place. They came over in the afternoon before I went to my last shift, we exchanged keys and I flew to Diego the next morning.”  
“Sounds nice and easy but I prefer not to let somebody in my apartment. Not somebody I don’t know.”  
“There’s nothing valuable.”  
“No, that’s all here.” Sara smiled. She had taken a box with Sofia’s most important paper work while the blonde was away.   
“Yes, thanks for that again.”  
“You’re welcome. Leave it here for your next trip if you don’t need it.”  
“Won’t be that long. Which reminds me: Can you take a week off?”  
“What?” Sara looked at Sofia blank. Why should she do that?   
“Can you?”  
“Why and when?”  
“Next month.”  
“Why?”  
“Waikiki beach.”  
“What?”  
“As you might be aware of, gambling is illegal in Hawaii, why a lot of Hawaiian come over to Vegas, in fact, there are plenty of direct flights from Honolulu to here. A couple from Waikiki contact me about my apartment while I was in Diego and asked if I’m interested in spending a week in Waikiki while they stay in Vegas. They’ve got a little house not too far away from the beach in Waikiki.”  
“I don’t need holidays to take care of your stuff.”  
“I know. I would like to have you with me in Waikiki.”  
“What? Why?” Now Sara’s face was full of surprise. Why did Sofia want her to be with her in Waikiki?   
“It’s nicer with a friend.”  
“You don’t need me to get guys in your room. I really doubt you’ll stay lonely.”  
“Sara, I don’t want any guys in my rooms, I want to have a week on the beach, on Waikiki beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world, and I’d like to have a friend with me. Until now I thought we are friends so I didn’t see any problems in asking you if you want to come with me. I mean, there’s no way you’ll get a week on Hawaii cheaper than that. We can rent a car and explore Oahu. I didn’t think it’s a problem, but you don’t have to come with me, it’s all right.”  
“I’m sorry.” Sara shook her head. “I didn’t mean to react like that. I was only surprised. You don’t get the offer to fly to Hawaii daily.”  
“There are daily flights.”  
“You know what I mean.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean you don’t offer me daily to fly with you to Hawaii, nobody has ever offer that to me. So if I’m allowed to answer after I’ve turned on my brain, it would be appreciate.”  
“I listen.”  
“When will we fly?”  
“That’s my girl.” Sofia grinned. “We’ll be the number attraction on the beach.”  
“Will we?”  
“Sure.”  
“Will we watch the sunset every evening?”  
“You bet. And maybe we can make it to sunrise one morning.”  
“You? Getting up early? Before that happens hell will be frozen.”  
“I love your confidence in me, Sara.” Sofia sulked.  
“I know you do.” Sara got up, took their plates and the empty boxes. “I’ll hit the shower, have a good sleep.”  
“I will. Your couch is perfect.”  
“My bed is even better.”  
“Is that an invitation?” Sofia cocked her head.   
“No.”   
“Pity.”  
“I’ll wake you up when I’m awake.”  
“I might gone by that.”  
“You, my dear friend, are likely to sleep until shift starts if I don’t wake you up.”  
“Call me sleepy beauty.”   
“Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Sara blinked and walked out of the room. Time to get some sleep, they had to start working earlier to talk to the three women of the shop. 

Part 2

They talked to the shop assistant, who had the day off, but couldn’t get any information. The fingerprints of the dead woman weren’t in any database and no witness showed up. The fingerprints Sara lifted from the public telephone were full of matches to people in their databases, but none of them was a female. They could only assume it was one of the working girls and Sofia was thinking of going back to the place tonight, talking to all girls she saw in case she recognized the voice.   
The next shop assistant was also no help, Sara began to suspect that they all said they didn’t know anything to protect somebody, but the last one proved her wrong.  
“She was here with Keane.”  
“Keane?” Sara asked.  
“You mean Keane? The Keane?” Sofia seemed to know who Keane was. A casino owner? A politician? A celebrity?”   
“Yes.”  
“Who is Keane?”  
“Self-made millionaire. He moved to Vegas last year, or at least, he bought a villa here. Quite successful with electronics.” Sofia explained. “You didn’t hear of him?”  
“No.”  
“He’s all over the tabloid.”  
“I don’t read that stuff.”  
“Of course not. Mrs. Deadon, when was Keane here with the woman?”  
“That must be two weeks ago.”  
“Is he a regular?”  
“Yes.”  
“Is she a regular?”  
“I haven’t seen her before.”  
“Have you seen her here after that day?”  
“No.”  
“How often is Keane bringing new women to your shop?”  
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.” The right term was, she didn’t want to tell her. She could if she really wanted.   
“That’s alright. He’ll change them quite often when I remember the last magazine right. Did they buy anything else?”  
“Usually Keane buys one piece every time.”  
“He pays cash or by card?”  
“Cash. Always.” Smart guy. He left less traces this way.   
“How did they acted?”  
“He was smooth as always, she was excited, running around the whole time and couldn’t make a decision. I think she hasn’t been in a shop like this before. At the end he made the decision for her.”  
“Has he been here since that day?”  
“Not that I know.”  
“All right. Thank you, Mrs. Deadon, we might come back to you.”   
They left the shop with a success and a new name. Maybe their first suspect.   
“Tell me, who is Keane? Why do I have to know him? This city has some millionaires.” Sara said when they were on their way back to the car.  
“Because he’s young, successful, sexy and available. Unfortunately he knows that and uses it.”  
“Sounds like somebody I know.”   
“He’s richer than I am.”  
“Who said I was talking about you?” Sara laughed.   
“The description fit perfect. Young, sexy, available, successful.”  
“Smuggy.”  
“Yes?”  
“Being an obvious big fan of him you’ll know where he lives.”  
“You bet and I’ll drive us there. Oh dear, oh dear, I’ll go to Keane’s house, I’ll see his villa. It’s late, he might be in his night clothes…if he wears something in bed.”  
“Maybe I should ask Brass if he wants to come with me.”  
“Forget it, you’ll have to go there with me.”  
“That can be a long night.”  
“And you can spend it with me.”  
“Uh-hum.” Sara sigh with a smile and dropped herself on the passenger’s seat. She could handle Sofia, no matter what the detective was up to. And she was working, no matter how much she was joking around with Sara, as soon as they’d be with the man, Sofia would be cop through and through.   
They left The Strip and took off to the nicer areas of the city. North-west Vegas, the area where the rich and famous lived. This comedian who was on stage in the Mirage lived somewhere here. Sara had been to his neighbors house one night because of a B & E. What was his name again? Some guy over fifty who suddenly needed a young lover instead oh his wife.   
“I asked for a week off.” Sara remembered out of the blue.  
“Good. What did Grissom say?”  
“He was speechless for a minute, asked if I can repeat that question, started to laugh and said yes.”  
“Perfect. We’ll fly to Honolulu. You might become Miss Waikiki.”  
“I thought I can’t win against you.”  
“Sara, I’d never try to win this show when you join it. There won’t be any competition between us. Competition ends to often in fights and that destroys friendship. I like you too much to risk that. Our friendship is more worth than Miss Waikiki.”  
“And of course you would win.”  
“People do prefer blonds.”  
“You’re not a true blonde.”  
“That, Sara Sidle, was mean!” Sofia held her heart. Nobody could see that she wasn’t a true blonde. Sara only happened to know that because they were close friends.   
“It suits you.”  
“I’d say I’m blond by heart but that doesn’t sound good for me.”  
“No.”  
“So I won’t comment on that. All I can tell you, I look gorgeous as a brunette as well. Even as a black one. It’s all about my great blue eyes.”  
“Narcissist.”   
“Realist. But enough of me. We’re at Keane’s place anyway.” Sofia stopped the car in front of a huge iron gate. Sofia bent out of the window and rang a bell. A few seconds later a voice came out of the speaker.  
“LVPD, we need to talk to Keane, please.”  
“In which matter?”  
“I’d love to tell that to himself.”  
“Come in.” The gate opened and Sofia drove through.   
“An electric gate, I bet he has a butler.”  
“You bet.”  
The villa was three levels, all in white and a dozen balconies. Sara counted five windows with light. Keane had company or was in a big room.  
They stopped the car in front of the door and walked up the stairs to the front door. Before Sofia could knock, the door was open from the inside. An old man around sixty appeared. The Butler Sara had talked about.   
“Yes?”  
“Detective Curtis LVPD, Sara Sidle with the crime lab. We need to talk to Keane.” She showed her badge.   
“Please follow me.” He led them to a room that looked like a salon. Old furniture, a faked log fire and some drinks.   
“Keane will with you in a second. Have a seat, please.”  
“Thank you.” Sofia walked in the room and started to look around.   
“Huge place. Is he living alone?” Sara paid some closer attention to a paint on the wall.   
“Good question, there’s no cohab listed.”  
“How much do you know of him?”  
“A few things.”  
“Why?”  
“I’m interested in many things.”  
“What things are you interested in, detective Curtis?” Sara was surprised. If that was Keane, he was young. She guessed him of under forty, maybe in the middle of his thirties. He was tall, had short black hair and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. His smile showed white teeth and she asked herself why a man like him needed prostitutes. He looked like he could choose all the time he went out of the best women in town.   
“Besides me.”  
“I’m interested in your women.”  
“That’s a shame, I hoped you were more interested in me.”  
“Both.”  
“That, on the other hands side, sounds interesting and promising.” His eyes laid on her and a smug smile was around his mouth. At least in that he and Sofia were the same. “And Sara Sidle with the crime lab. How is Catherine Willows”?  
“You know her?” Sara was surprised.  
“I wouldn’t say it that way, but I know who she is. Sam Braun’s daughter. But enough of that, what can I do for the LVPD?”  
“Do you know this woman?” Sofia showed him the photo of the dead woman.   
“If I wouldn’t know her, you wouldn’t be here. Somebody told you I know her. And from this photo and you, being a homicide detective, I assume, she’s dead.”  
“Why do you know I’m homicide?”  
“The photo? It’s a photo taken in the morgue.”  
“Oh.” He was good. Most people paid no attention to the background of the photo. They saw the woman that that’s it.   
“So yes, I do know her. Or did know her seems to be the right term now.”  
“What is her name.”  
“Cassey. Or at least that’s what she told me.”  
“You bought her an expensive skirt and don’t know her name?”  
“Expensive? That depends on your account. I like to make the women I spend some time with, little presents. What their names are, I don’t care. They come into my life, they vanish, you needs to know names for a few days, detective Curtis?”  
“How many are a few days?”  
“Let me see. With today it should be twenty-three.”  
“When was the last time you saw her?”  
“Yesterday. In the morning. I left at seven and she was still sleeping.”  
“You know what she did yesterday?”  
“My butler told me she left around noon, I guess she went to her place, you need the address?”  
“Yes, please.”  
He took a notepad and wrote down an address, handed the paper to Sofia and made sure their hands would touch.   
“Here you go, detective.”  
“Thank you. Mr. Keane, I need you whereabouts for the last night. Between ten and four.”  
“We had a party here.”  
“Who is we?”  
“One minute please.” Out of his pockets appeared a mini computer. He started to press some buttons, tipped some words and put the computer back in his pocket. “Maurice will bring you the complete list. The mayor was here, he and his wife arrived around nine. Between ten and three I was here, the last guest left at quarter past three. I went to bed after that. Alone, in case you’re interested, detective.”  
If he had an alibi until quarter past three he couldn’t be the killer. Well, she wasn’t killed in the dumpster, he could have killed her here and sent somebody to dump the body. Or told somebody to kill her. With his money it shouldn’t be a problem.  
“The LVPD is interested, Mr. Keane. You know I’ll have to talk to some of the people. They need to verifier your statement.”  
“Of course you do. Like you’ll consider the fact that I could have hired somebody to kill her.”  
“Yes.”  
“Nothing I can do to prove to you that I didn’t. You’ve to take my word.” He smiled.   
“Do I?”  
“Why should I lie to you, detective Curtis?”  
Sofia held up the photo. “I call that a good motive.”  
“And why would I want her dead? She gave me quite some fun.”  
“You got bored?”  
“If I get bored of a woman, I don’t kill them. I just don’t let them into my house anymore. Killing makes too much of a fuzz.”  
“You are very arrogant, Keane.”  
“So are you, Sofia.”  
“Detective Curtis.”  
“I’m sorry, detective.”  
“Would you mind if we have a look around?”  
“Do you have a warrant?”  
“Do you have anything to hide?”  
He smirked. “I like women with a certain strength. They are challenging. I’m sorry, detective, without a warrant, I can’t let you walk around.”  
“What a pity.”  
“I could give you a private tour when you’re off duty.”  
“Thanks for the offer, but no thank you.”  
“If you change your mind you can call me at any time.”  
“I don’t have your number.”  
“You’re a smart detective, you’ll find it out.”  
“And end up with one of your servants.”  
“I’ll give the order to pull you through.”  
“Thanks. We might be back.”  
“I look forward to meet you again, detective. Miss Sidle, it was my pleasure.”  
“Yeah.”  
“May I bring you to the door?”  
“Sure.” They let him bring them to the door. The butler, who seemed to be Maurice, handed a list over to Sofia.   
Without saying a word they left the premises. The gate opened in front of them and closed itself as soon as they were out.   
“You think he lied?” Sofia asked.  
“He’s very smooth.”  
“Yeah. I can’t see a motive why he should kill her. As he said, he can kick her put and she’s out of his life.”  
“Maybe she saw things she wasn’t supposed to see.”  
“Maybe. He has a file, a thick one. They never caught him but I’m sure he isn’t innocent.”  
“Innocent? The way he flirted with you? No.”  
“He did, a little bit.”  
“A little bit? I could have stolen the entire furniture in the room, he would have not noticed that. His eyes were on you, all the time. He undressed you and had you in his bed, the kitchen floor and the pool.”  
“Really? You see interesting things. A very dirty fantasy.”  
“It was obvious.”  
“Jealous?”  
“No.”  
“Good. He’s a person of interest. I’ll check on him. Hundred people around, not too difficult to slip away for a few minutes, I bet the party was not only in one room. Otherwise, there are plenty of people working for him, one might be the right guy for a little murder. Some money and your problem is gone. I’ll check his employees and people he works with. We might find a name that pops up on a list of assassins. He won’t hire an amateur, he likes to be surrounded by professionals – in each area it seems.”  
“Everything is done with enough money and he seemed to have enough money. Besides, he knew who Cath’s father was, Sam Braun wasn’t an innocent man, I bet he let people kill. They might share some friends who offer trips to the desert the Vegas style.”  
“Exactly.”  
“Was there any DNA on the body?”  
“Only hers.”  
“We’ve got a vic with a bullet in her head. When we find a gun, like the one she was killed with, in Keane’s possession, we might get a warrant. He was with her for three weeks.”  
“He slept with her, he wasn’t with her.”  
“Whatever. He should know something. A man like Keane won’t let a woman in his house without checking on her. He knew my name, I never mentioned it. I bet he checked on us while we drove to the house and waited in the salon.”  
“He knew I’m Miss Sidle and nor Misses.”  
“You don’t wear a ring.”  
“In our job? You do that for few days and then you find out, it’s in your way all the time.”  
“He might have checked on you too.”  
“I don’t like the idea that he can see my file, it shouldn’t be public.” Sara didn’t want to think of what else he might have found out about her. Her private life was nobody’s business.   
“I bet he can see every file, he’s into computer.”  
“In that case we shouldn’t write our reports, not if we consider him as a suspect…you think he can break our security walls?”  
“His company develops security systems, he knows how to break them. Wouldn’t it be funny if his company made them? In that case I bet he can read every line of every document we’ve on our computer.”  
“The lab shouldn’t have a program from a company who’s owner has a thick file…I’ll write my report on a computer not connected to the internet and print all copies.”  
“Paranoid?”  
“Careful. I don’t like him.”  
“Not?”  
“He’s even more smug than you are. And too smooth. Something is wrong with him.”  
“He flirted with me.” Sofia chuckled. A millionaire, a young, good looking millionaire, flirted with her. What a pity that she was on duty.   
“As I said, something is wrong with him.”  
“Hey, you can be Miss Waikiki, I’ll be Misses Rich.”  
“You’ll be one in a million and I’m not talking about dollar.”  
“I know. He’s too easy to have, no challenge.” As interesting and flattering the interested was, Keane had shown, Sofia knew, she wasn’t somebody he was really interested in. It seemed like there was no women on this planet he was so much interested in that he stopped fooling around.   
“You are a challenge for him.”  
“You want to bet he’ll lose.”  
“I hope so.”  
“He will.”  
“What if, if he’s innocent?”  
“I’d be still one in a million. I don’t like to be another number, I want to be special.” Sofia cocked her head. “Am I special to you?”  
“Nah, I let everybody sleep on my sofa.”  
“That’s why it felt so worn.”  
“Like the other side of your bed?” Sara countered.   
“That side is like new and has been cold for a long time. It’s about time that it will be used again. What are you doing tomorrow morning?”  
“Not sleeping in your bed.”  
“We don’t have to sleep, I know some other things to do.”  
“That’s sexual harassment, detective.”  
“It’s only harassment if you don’t want or like it, investigator. And maybe I was talking about a hot game on the Playstation.”  
“Smuggy.”  
“Yes dear?”  
“Shut up and drive.” Sara nudged Sofia.

“You were interviewing Keane?” Cath asked Sara a few hours later. It was obvious the reddish blond CSI was very excited about that. What was it that everybody seemed to have with this guy? Had Sara spent too much time with Grissom that she didn’t see social and humanly things anymore?   
“Yes.”  
“How did you manage to get through to him?”  
“We drove to his villa, rang the bell and went inside.”  
“I never thought he would let anybody in his house without an appointment.”  
“We came in. By the way, he knows you, or at least, he knows who your father was.”  
“I’m not surprised. Probably he and Sam shared a few friends. I wouldn’t mind meeting him. Can you take me with you the next time?”  
“To be one in a million?”  
“The one?”  
“I don’t think he’s looking for the one.”  
“You want him for the murder of the girl?”  
“I don’t want him to be the murderer, but he spent the last three weeks with her, he’s the only one we know, who knew her. Apparently she left his villa yesterday around noon while he left in the morning and she wasn’t invited to his party in the evening. What doesn’t mean, she wasn’t there and he killed or ordered to kill her.”  
“He had his lawyer around?”  
“No, he’s too arrogant for that. We were no threat to him; in his eyes. Sofia is checking his alibi. Our mayor was at the party.”  
“Keane made damn sure he had some important names around him.”  
“How much do you know about him? It seems like I’m the only one who hasn’t heard of him.”  
“Makes his money with electronic, develops security programs, computer systems, games. All the things you make a lot of money within no time. Age thirty-seven, single, surrounded by women all the time, never married, engaged, no serious relationships. He loves women, especially blond ones, young, he loves fast cars, poker and traveling.”  
“That he is fond of blondes was obvious, he was trying to flirt with Sofia.”  
“What did she do?”  
“Told him off.”  
“I bet that wasn’t easy.”  
“He’s not that special.”  
“He is, Sara, he is.” Cath smiled and walked away.   
Sara shook her head. What was special about this guy? He had money, nothing special about that. His company was successful. He wasn’t developing the gadgets they made, he was a in his office. He was good looking? Was he? He certainly was what the public called good looking, but there was nothing special about him. He was arrogant. All in all he was nothing special to her. Just an ordinary guy with a lot of money and overestimation of his own capabilities.   
After checking on her traces and DNA she made the decision to walk over to Sofia.   
“Sara?” Grissom stopped her.  
“Yeah?”  
“About your case…”  
“Don’t tell me you take it away because a street girl isn’t important enough.” She hated it when she was pulled away from a case because it seemed to be a second or third priority. A dead hooker wasn’t as important as a B & E in a house of a banker.   
“I would have but then you found a connection the Keane.” Again this name. What was he? The God of Las Vegas?  
“And?”  
“Do you think he’s the killer?”  
“I’ve no evidence, no hard evidence, that says so.”  
“What do you think?”  
“He has the capability to kill somebody, to let somebody kill, he had this party with important people as an alibi. There was no trace on the vic, what means, whoever killed and dumped her in the dumpster, knew what he was doing. A pro. Keane has the money for a pro, but I can’t see a real motive for him to kill her. If he’s sick and tired of her, just send her away, it seems like he does that with women on a regular bases. No need to kill. Only if she saw, heard or did something that could harm him.”  
“I doubt he lets his women near to anything important.”  
“So do I.”  
“Are you alright with the case? Do you need some help?”  
“We’ve got nothing to work on beside his alibi. I couldn’t find any previous address of her, nothing. Only the thing Keane gave us, a motel, we’ll go there later. She was listed there since four weeks, there’s nothing about her life before. She signed in with a name nothing comes up with. Not even a visa and she had an Eastern Europe accent. When you only see the paperwork, she never existed in the States.”  
“She must have come here somehow. Maybe you should talk to your witness again, let him talk a little bit more about his former girlfriend.”  
“I can invite him over for the afternoon.”  
“He’ll bring a lawyer.”  
“Probably.”  
“Give me a call if you need something, will you?”  
“Sure. Thanks.”  
The first thing she noted at Sofia’s desk was a huge bunch of roses.   
“Wow.”  
“That’s what I said.” Sofia appeared behind the flowers.  
“Yours?”  
“Don’t look so surprised, some people do like and appreciate me.”  
“Looks like.” Sara started to count the flowers but stopped after the first dozen.   
“Fifty.” Sofia helped out.   
“Wow again.”  
“Yes, you haven’t asked the obvious question yet.” The detective grinned.  
“I don’t have to, I know the answer myself.”  
“Do you? How?”  
“I saw him seeing you in nothing more than a bed of roses.”  
“I hope without thorns.”  
“Sofia, you know you can’t keep them.”  
“I know, I’m not into roses anyway. He forgot to check that. I’ll keep the card and that’s it.”  
“The card?”  
“Keane wrote his cell phone number on the card. We might need that later.” Sofia smirked. “And now that we are talking about him: Keane’s alibi checked out so far. I haven’t reached everybody but I talked to the mayor, his wife and some other people from the list. They all confirmed he was there and couldn’t recall any time at the evening they were looking for him and couldn’t find him. Which still doesn’t mean he didn’t slip out somehow. You don’t look for your host the whole time.”  
“Grissom suggested we should invite him to here.”  
“Yeah I think I’ll get us an official appointment with him for the late afternoon. I hope we’ve got a room big enough for all his lawyers.”  
“He has no reason to bring more than one lawyer, he is a person of interest, a witness. Or do you have anything that makes him a suspect?”  
“Do you have any evidence we can use against him?”  
“No.”  
“Neither do I.”  
“Means we worked ten hours, have to be here earlier than usual and should go home. At least my boss told me to go home whenever we’re done. I’m not supposed to collect a lot of overtime.”  
“I know that problem. Al right, I’ll go back to the lab, finish my reports and if Grissom has no other ideas I’ll be off the clock too. What time do we meet?”  
“I’ll let somebody call Keane for the appointment, so I can’t promise a time. Would seven suits you? I’m afraid I can’t get anything later, most people don’t want to be here late, they want us to be there in day time.”  
“Days are so lovely for a sleep. Send me a text and if it’s before five call me.” Sara had no problems with getting up earlier as long as she knew that she had to do so.   
“Will do. And after that we can go to the motel address he gave us.”  
“Sounds like a plan.”  
“It’s my plan, it’s a good one. I’d say we go there now, but somehow I’ve the feeling nobody will be available at the front desk at this time. According to the address this isn’t a high tourist area with around the clock service. So, I’ll see you later.”  
“Later, detective.”

One hour later Sofia was home. It had taken her a little bit more time to leave she had used the roses. Fifty roses, all got a little sticker of the LVPD, with them she stood outside on The Strip and gave them away to the fifty first people who walked along. A rose with the note to stay safe from the LVPD, she thought that was good advertisement for the department and she didn’t have to throw the roses away.   
She almost yelled when there was a second bunch of roses, twice the size like the one in the department. Slick bastard, he must have figured out, she’d give them away.   
“You think you can play me? Think again.” She opened her door, stepped over the flowers, got some cardboard and a pen, took both with the flowers outside and set it on the sidewalk. Help yourself she wrote on the cardboard and walked inside without giving the attached card another look. He was too demanding for her taste.   
Before she took a shower she got her private cell phone out and dialed her speed dial number one.   
“Sorry to wake you up.”   
“I haven’t been in bed yet, just came home.” Sara’s voice was tired. It seemed like Sofia wasn’t the only one who had worked longer than she had planed to.   
“Good.”  
“What’s up?”  
“I’ve got flowers to my apartment, I didn’t count but I think he doubled the amount.” No need to mention a name.   
“What? He checked out where you live?”  
“Looks like.”  
“Do you want me to come over and stay with you or do you want to stay here?”  
“I won’t run and hide because a man who thinks he’s God’s gift to all women sends me flowers. The wrong flowers by the way.”  
“All right.”  
“I’ll be fine, Sara. I promise. He can’t hurt or scare me. I’m a detective.”  
“He can hire a pro.”  
“He has no reason to kill me. Don’t worry.”  
“I don’t trust him.”  
“Neither do I but don’t you think I’m better than a pro? As I said I’m a detective.” Sofia said bristle.   
“Sofia, don’t put yourself in danger.”  
“I won’t. I’ll be fine and I let him pay for the flower later when we have him in. He thinks he can bribe me or get me with flowers, he’ll learn how wrong he is and how less he knows about women.”  
“How less he knows about you. The average woman would be delighted to get so many roses.”  
“I’m not an average woman, I’m special.”  
“You are, Sofia.”  
“Okay, I’ll let you sleep now, you sound tired.”  
“I am a little bit. See you tonight, don’t forget to send me a text or give me a call when we’ve an appointment with your flower guy before five.”  
“I will. And he’s not my flower guy. Before he might be considered as my flower man, he has to learn a lot. He isn’t good enough for me.”  
“A young, good looking millionaire isn’t good enough for you. That’s so typical you, detective.”  
“That’s so right, like I always am.”  
“Good night, Smuggy.” Sara laughed. There was no need to discuss with Sofia. In this case Sofia was right, Keane wasn’t good enough for her.   
“Night Grumpy Smurf.”  
“Grumpy Smurf?”  
“You started the pet name thing, now you have to live with yours. Bye.” Sofia ended the conversation with a winning smile. This game was hers, all her scores. 

Part 3

“Did you get more flowers?” Sara had been a few minutes early to have a moment with Sofia in private.  
“No.”  
“What did you do with the ones he sent you home?”  
“Left them on the sidewalk with a note that everybody can help themselves. When I left my apartment this afternoon, all roses were gone. I did the same with the ones he sent to here. Keane made a lot of people happy today.”  
“He wanted to make you happy.”  
“He wanted to get lucky.”  
“That too. He’ll try again.”  
“I’ll make him unlucky again.”  
“You are really not interested in this guy? You seemed to be so well informed about him.”  
“He looks great, no question, but as I said, I want to be ‘the one’ and not one.”  
“Sounds good to me.”  
“Why?” Sofia cocked her head. “Are you interested in me, Sara Sidle?”  
“I don’t want my friend to get involved with a womanizer and pick up the pieces of her broken heart two weeks later because he cheated on her.”  
“You care for me.”  
“Sure I do, stupid girl. Come on, let’s have a conversation with your admire.”  
“I’ll tell him he can stop sending me flowers, you’re the only one for me. That should scare him away.”  
“Great, get me into this. Exactly what I wanted.”  
“I always give you what you want.”  
“Smuggy.” Sara rolled her eyes.  
“Grumpy Smurf.”   
With a smile on their faces they entered the interview room. Against all odds Keane was sitting there alone, without a lawyer at all.   
“Mr. Keane, thank you for coming in.” Sofia sat in front of him.  
“How could I miss the chance to see you again, detective? And your lovely CSI, Miss Sara Sidle.”  
“Are we waiting for your lawyer, Mr. Keane?” Sara asked without paying attention to the words he said.   
“Am I a suspect? Are you accusing me of anything?”  
“No.”  
“Then what do I need a lawyer for? I trust detective Curtis. Did you like the flowers, by the way?”  
“I gave them away.”  
“All of them?”  
“All of them, so save yourself the effort and stop sending me flowers or whatever else you’ve got in mind. It’s a waste of time and money.”  
“I don’t think I can waste time and money on you. It’s impossible to waste anything on you.”  
“Just cut through the chase.” Sofia started to feel annoyed by him. “Your girlfriend.”  
“Ex affair.”  
“Whatever. We would like to know a little bit more about her. Where did you meet Cassey?”  
“In a club. I was out, enjoying some times with friends and suddenly she was there. She was cute, I was in the mood, she stayed three weeks.”  
“She died.”  
“As far as I’m aware women don’t die because they spent some time with me.”  
“They don’t spend much time with you.”  
“Do you eat every day the same?”  
“So women are a kind of diet for you?”  
“They make my life healthy and long, you can call it a kind of diet, yes.”  
“You checked out my address, you want to tell me you didn’t check on Cassey?”  
“That means you didn’t find anything on her. No visa, no i.d., nothing.”  
“Don’t play with me, Keane.”  
“I don’t. All I can tell is, she was there, in the Bellagio, in the club. I tried to check on her, couldn’t find anything. I asked some people in the scene, all they could give me was, she appeared a month ago and lived in the motel the address I gave you.”  
“You were with her for three weeks, what did she tell you?”  
“She didn’t talk much, liked to do other things with her mouth. A reason why I liked to have her around.” He grinned wide.   
“You know how to get your information.”  
“That’s right. She told me she was from Indiana, came to Vegas for some fun and wanted to study in San Francisco. She didn’t talk about her family and I didn’t ask. It was not like we were having a romance, it was sex, nothing more. And you don’t need to know much about the other for sex.”  
“She mentioned any friends? Family?”  
“No.”  
“Anything else? An accent…”  
“Eastern Europe, yes. That’s why I figured her story about Indiana was a lie, but it didn’t matter to me. As I said, she was an affair. As long as the women do what I want them to do and not try to steal things out of my house, I don’t care if they live here legal or illegal.”  
“Can you think of anybody who wants to hurt her? Kill her?”  
“No.”  
“Was she around you when you were working?”  
“That would be very stupid, detective. I am not stupid. I’ve my office locked and no woman is allowed in it. No matter how good she is.”  
“Why didn’t she live with you? What do you know about the place she lived?”  
“You mean if she didn’t sleep at my place? YOUR LUCK. She ‘worked’ for her room and I don’t mean legal work with taxes.”  
“And you were fine with that?”  
“She did tricks before me, she’d have done the same after me. I didn’t care that she gave a guy at reception a blow job every day to stay for free. Why should I bother? She wasn’t mine, I used her as she used me.”  
“So you didn’t care who she was as long as she was there to fuck her?”  
“Yes.”  
“Prostitution is illegal in Clarke County.”  
“I never paid her, detective.”  
“The skirt?”  
“A gift.”  
“A five hundred dollar gift.”  
“I know, cheap but I wasn’t in the mood for anything else.”  
“Was she invited to your party yesterday?” Sara asked after she had enough of listening the word battle between Sofia and Keane.   
“No.”  
“Why?”  
“I don’t mix work and pleasure. This party was for my business, I wasn’t looking for a girl, I was looking for business partner.”  
“Found some?”  
“Yes.”  
“When did you expect Cassey back?”  
“Yesterday. I’m not waiting for the girls, if they are not there when I feel like them, I go anywhere else. This is Vegas, getting a girl is as easy as buying ice cream.”  
“Only if you don’t want anything special.”  
“Most of the girls do have basic skills. I’m willing to do more for special women.” His eyes went back to Sofia.   
“Save that for your cheap girl, that doesn’t work with me, Keane.” The detective said.   
“I like challenges.”  
“You can try if you want to lose.”  
“I never lose.”  
“In that case it will be my pleasure to give you a new feeling.”  
“Are you daring me?”  
“I’m telling you to back off.”  
“I can understand something else.”  
“Then you would be wrong again. The only interest I have in you is regarding the dead woman. Nothing else. Learn to live with it.”  
“Ouch.”  
“Do you know who wanted to kill Cassey, Keane?” Sara tried not to get angry. This was an investigation, not a single party.   
“No, I’ve no idea. I doubt it was to hurt me, she was not important. I guess she was bored, thought she could use some cash and did some tricks. As I said I didn’t pay her and I don’t know if she could pay for her food in the supermarket like she paid for the room.”  
“It’s really nice to see how concerned you are, how much you care.”  
“Miss Sidle, in my business you don’t get attached to people. You should know that from your business.”  
“The people I meet are dead.”  
“Sad life. Now, if there’s nothing else I think our conversation is over.”  
“That’s all. For the moment. Thank you very much for your cooperation.”  
“It was my pleasure.” He shook Sara’s hand. “Detective.”  
“Stay available, Keane.”  
“For you? Always.”  
“For the LVPD.”  
“You are the LVPD.” He smiled and left the room.   
“Arrogant bastard.” Sara grumbled.   
“He’s worse than I am.”  
“You’re simpatico when you’re smug, he isn’t.”  
“Thanks. Do you think he really doesn’t know anything? That he doesn’t care what the woman he sleeps with, does. Most men don’t like it when they have to share a woman. It’s bad for their ego.”  
“I believe he sees them like the paper boy, post man or delivery man. Whatever they do after they did what he needs them for, he doesn’t care.”  
“Might be.” Sofia got up. “Let’s have coffee.”

Their next step was a trip to YOUR LUCK. None of them thought it was a crime scene, but they needed more information about Cassey and they wanted to check the room. Sofia had called the reception earlier, let them locked the room and no room service in.   
A man in his early sixties was sitting at the front desk, more interested in his newspaper than in the two women.   
“Excuse me, sir.” Sara started.   
“We’re full. Go away.” He didn’t bother to look up. Sara and Sofia exchanged looks. Nice service, friendly people.   
“We’re not looking for a room.”   
“Good. No reason for you to here then.”  
“The good thing about being here is that you’ll give us what we want and that’s first your attention.” Sofia said aggressive. “Put that fucking newspaper away. NOW!” She slammed her badge on the desk. “LVPD.”  
“What do you want?” He didn’t put the newspaper away but he looked at least at the two.   
“That’s a start. Detective Curtis, Sara Sidle with the crime lap, we need you to answer some questions.”  
“I don’t know anything and I don’t remember anything.” This wasn’t the man she had talked to earlier. He should remember her. The exchange of information was obviously not a strength in this place, which made Sofia doubt, that the room wasn’t touched or rent to somebody else.   
“Sure.” Sofia turned to Sara. “Sara, could you please call Judge Petersen and tell him, I think there is a drug dealer living in this place? I think we need your colleagues here as well, they say it never snows in Las Vegas but I’ve got the feeling we’ll find some snow here. Oh and then tell the judge, we would like to have a warrant for this gentleman specific. Receiving sexual favors is not exactly legal in Vegas, if they happen to pay your rent and I’m pretty sure, we’ll find some DNA on this man, that doesn’t belong to him or – if any woman felt that sorry for herself – his wife.” She had no evidence that Cassey was working for her room on this man, it was only a try.   
“Sure thing, detective.” Sara was about to get her cell phone when the man sighed.   
“Okay, what do you want to know?”  
“Sara, hold on, maybe we let the judge sleep. I’m sure he’ll appreciate not to get disturbed.” Sofia sent a lovely smile to Sara and turned to the desk.   
“Let’s start with something easy. After we told you who we are it would be a kind of polite if you’d do the same.”  
“Bill. Bill Gates. And you can skip all the jokes I know them.”  
“I don’t do jokes. Mr. Gates, do you know where Cassey is?”  
“Who?”  
“Don’t make Sara call the judge.”  
“I’ve no fucking idea who you are talking about.”  
Sara got a photo of Cassey out of her bag and placed it on the desk.   
“She’s been talking about her.”  
“Well, I don’t know how you come up with this name, that’s Olga.”  
“Olga?”  
“Yeah, from Russia. What did she do? She’s due to pay.”  
“I’m afraid she won’t pay this time – in no way.” Sofia said.   
“What do you mean?”  
“She’s dead.”  
“What?”  
“When was the last time you saw her?”  
“I don’t know…the day before yesterday, I think. Who killed her?”  
“That’s what we want to know too. We need her room keys. I called about that earlier, you should ask your colleagues about important phone calls. I told him not to clean the room and not to give it away. I hope he did that.”   
Mister Gates made a not very happy sound, dove under his desk and came up with a key.   
“We don’t kick everybody out after a day or two. She paid until this morning. You guys go in, do what you have to do and I’ll send the room service in there tomorrow morning. I want the keys back.”  
“Don’t worry we don’t feel like moving in. Tell me what you know about Cas…Olga.”  
“She showed up a couple of weeks ago, said she wanted to study here, was looking for a job, was quite broke, didn’t have enough money to pay the rent.”  
“That’s why you offered her another way of payment.”  
“I didn’t…”  
“Don’t lie to me, I can’t stand it when people are lying. It makes me feel that they think I’m stupid and I hate it when people think I’m stupid. You let her live in the room and she did you some favors.”  
“We helped each others out.”  
“With sex.”  
“I didn’t force her, I didn’t pay.”  
“Do I look lie a moralizer to you?”  
“No.” he started to grin; dirty. “You look more like a sin I’d love to do.”  
“You better give us something really good so that I’ll forget what you said and don’t bring you in for sexual harassment of a detective.” Sofia said coldly.   
“I can’t give you anything. She stayed here, the first time I saw her daily, after a week or so she was sometimes gone for two days. And she started to look like she found somebody who paid her some money for clothes. I mean, she still didn’t have a lot of money, could barely pay her grocery, but her clothes looked better. I think she found herself a rich friend.”  
“You don’t happen to know who this friend is?”  
“No, I’ve no idea. She never brought anybody in and it’s against the rules.”  
“Is it? Interesting. You know where she went to?”  
“Am I her daddy?”  
“I don’t hope so. Incest is a thing I’ve to call in.”  
“Hell, no. I don’t know where she went but usually girls like her went down The Strip. Where the money is.”  
“You know anybody who knew her?”  
“I don’t think she had friends here. Not friends like friends at least.”  
“Who else had contact with her?”  
“Ask Raymond, he owns the 7-11 over the street. She came in sometimes with a bag from his shop. Maybe he can help you out.”  
“We’ll do that. But first we’d love to see her room.”  
“Am I supposed to come with you?”  
“No, it’s enough when you tell us where it is.”  
“First floor, left, fifth door on the right.”  
“Thank you very much, Mister Gates.” Sofia smiled and started to move forwards the stairs, Sara right behind her. The staircase was dark, the little light in the middle gave barely enough light to show them their way. Sara was sure this darkness had it’s good sides too. She didn’t want to see how dirty the carpet really was, what was really in the corner of the stairs and if they were the only living creatures here. She doubted it.   
The hallway on the first floor wasn’t much better. The light was poor, so was the housekeeping; if it existed in this place. Old, half torn photos hang on the walls, nobody did bother to buy a frame for them. Room number 17 was their destination.   
“You wanna play superwoman and secure the scene first before I can go in?” Sara asked smiling.  
“Nah, I thought I send you in first. If anybody is in there, he or she can shoot you and I’ve got time to find some cover.”  
“Some friend are you.”  
“Oh, friend, I thought you were talking to detective Superwoman. As your friend I’ll make sure the room is clear before I let you in.” Sofia smirked.   
“There shouldn’t be anybody in.”  
“Not with two legs, no. But get your gun out anyway, would you please?”  
“Sure.” Sara blinked at her friend. Sofia was kind of cute when she worried about Sara. And for own sake and the sake of the detective she got her gun ready when Sofia put the key in the lock and turned it. Slowly she opened the door.   
“LVPD. Anybody in?” Sofia entered the room and took a look around. Nothing. A short look in the bathroom and she took her gun away.   
“Clear.”  
“I’m not sure if this room is clear, but it’s definitely not clean.” Sara grimaced her face with disgust. The room was even worse than the rest of the motel. The sheets on the bed looked like they haven’t been changed in at last the four weeks Cassey – or Olga – had been here. The carpet was once beige not it was brownish-gray and some spots looked like blood, coffee and Sara didn’t want to think about what else.   
The seat of the chair was half torn, the table hat two different kinds of legs, the light next to the bed was nothing more than a light bulb, the wardrobe was open, a few skirts and tops were hanging in it, a pair of shoes on the ground.   
“This is disgusting.” Sofia furrowed her brows.  
“Yes, it fits wonderful to Bill Gates.”  
“I bet he’s the housekeeper.”  
“He can keep his house.” Sara opened the bathroom door. “Yuck.” The shower was covered in mold. The walls had been white once, but now the black mold was everywhere, same was for the walls in the bathroom and the corner of the floor. The sink was brown and covered in substances she got a rash from by only looking at it. More for her own protection than for the maybe evidence, she put on her gloves and was tempted to pull a second pair over it.   
“This is gross.” She handed a pair of gloves to Sofia.   
“Thanks. I think I’ll decontaminate all me things when I’m back home. This is worse than your dumpster.”  
“Yeah makes the dirt in the dumpster look like clean dirt. And Cassey lived in here.”  
“Seeing this room I think I might have spent a lot of time with Keane as well.”  
“Yeah. This is a health danger, Sofia. We have to call the local health authority.”  
“I know. It will be my pleasure.” Sofia opened the nightstand. “No passport, no i.d., no license. You think she had anything like that at all?”  
“I doubt it. I think she came her illegal and didn’t have the money to get faked papers.”  
“It’s dangerous to come to a strange country all by yourself, it’s even more dangerous when you end up in Las Vegas, in a dump like this and do tricks for a living. The three weeks with Keane must have been the safest in her last weeks, probably months.”  
“How do you get into the US without having a passport? They check you every time you’re entering an airport.”  
“You think.” She knew it was different. People always found ways to get other people in the country without that the government knew about it. No border was one hundred percent safe and close.   
“Maybe she had a passport to come over and whoever was waiting for her here, took it away. There’re plenty of cases when modern slave trader get the girls in the country on a faked passport, take that away so that the girls have to stay with them, do what they want. If she got away from her pimp, she was without papers and we’ve got a suspect – without having one.”  
“If we found a victim of a slave trader ring we’ve got something big and a lot of trouble coming up.” Sofia sighed.   
“Scared, detective?”   
“No.” Sofia got closer to Sara without touching her. “Only worried that my CSI is safe.”  
“With you by my side nothing can happen to me.” Sara blinked at her. “I’ll bag her stuff, do you want to knock on a few doors and ask the caring neighbors?”  
“Only the one that live next door. I won’t let you alone in this dumpster and it’s a waste of time to call an officer.”  
“You’re really cute when you worry about me, Sofia.”  
“It’s my job, Sara and I’m good at my job; at least I try to be good at it.”  
“I’m alive, whenever I was with you nothing happened to me, I guess, you do a damn good job, Sofia.”  
“Thanks.” The detective smiled. “I’ll knock on some doors. Give me a call if you need me; no matter as a detective or a CSI.”  
“Will do.” Sara opened her kit. It was time to get everything that might be helpful, in the lab to get some idea who was the killer of Cassey/Olga.

“I hate being stuck.” Sara kicked her desk.   
“The desk isn’t your enemy.” Sofia said.   
“No but it is here and I don’t know who my enemy is.”  
“I’m glad you didn’t kick me.” They had nothing new on their case and because of that both of them had started new cases this night. Even with Keane involved, they had to go on, there was simply no evidence.  
“Let’s go home.” Sofia suggested.  
“Yeah. You come with me?”  
“I can do that. It was almost an ordinary shift, I’m not that tired, we could actually spend some time talking to each other.”  
“We can try. I come over”  
“I get some bagels.”  
“In that case I start the coffee.”  
“Deal.” Sofia walked back to her desk, got her things and knocked off. Ten minutes later she was Sara’s apartment and got her keys out. She had her own pair of keys for Sara’s apartment as had Sara for Sofias.   
With the radio on she started the coffee machine and made up the couch for herself before she jumped under the shower.   
When she came out of there Sara was in the kitchen, wearing some casual clothes and preparing the rest of the breakfast.   
“Sexy in sweat pants and an old colleges t-shirt.” Sofia grinned.  
“Sexy in boxer shorts and an old baseball shirt.” Sara shot back with a grin. When Sofia stayed over it was the only time Sara didn’t see her in a suit.   
“I had nothing else here. I need to bring a new bag with clothes.”  
“Sofia, I don’t really care what you are wearing.”  
“Not? Good that takes the pressure away.”  
“Shut up and sit down.”  
“I’ll get served?”  
“Yes.”  
“I like being here.”  
Sara brought the coffee to the table and sat in a forty-five degrees ankle from Sofia.   
“I’d ask you some thing about the case, but we’re off. So I ask you something private. Where would you like to go next?”  
“Huh? I thought we go to Hawaii.”  
“Sure. I mean after that.”  
“After that? Why?”  
“Sara, I’ve got an apartment close to The Strip, people want to stay at my place. Is there any place you want to go? Not like for a long holiday but for a weekend? We could fly for two or three days to New York. I had somebody from Manhattan asking for my apartment. What do you think?”  
“I think it’s your apartment and you should make the decision where you want to go.”  
“Come on, Sara, don’t be a spoilsport. I assume we’ll have a lot of fun on Hawaii and being somewhere is always better with somebody you know and like. So stop being a bitch and think of a place you’d like to see. I can tell you, even this two days trips are really nice. New York? Florida? Seattle?”  
“What I’d love to do – what you can’t do in two days – is getting a bike and drive up to Chicago, the old Route 66. That would be something I’d love to do. For the little trips, I’d love to go to Disney Land.”  
“L.A.? Well, they love to come over for some games, that shouldn’t be too difficult and it’s close by, we can be there in four hours. I’ll have a look what I can find, maybe something in Anaheim. Would you take a photo of me kissing Mickey?”  
“Sure.” Sara laughed.   
“Who do you want to kiss?”  
“I don’t think my favorite will be there.”  
“Who is it?”  
“Dory.”  
“Dory? Are you serious?”  
“Sure, she’s great. She forgets things all the time, that would be annoying when you are with her, but hey, she’s a lovely person, very helpful and concerned about other.”  
“You are weird.”  
“Okay, I pick Pluto.” Sara pouted.   
“You can kiss Dory if she’s there. You know when I was the last time in the Universal Studios I kissed Scooby Doo.”  
“You both like food.”  
“Yes. But I am not as coward as Scooby.”  
“That would suck in your job.”  
“Yeah. Imagine, we’re at a crime scene, there’s a noise and I jump in your arms.”  
“Great, we’d both fall.”  
“But together.”  
“I always knew you’d be my downfall.”  
“You are charming today, aren’t you?” Sofia nudged Sara’s knee.   
“Sure I am. Want something more? I should have some fruits or yogurt.”  
“No thanks.”  
“I bet you’d say yes if I offer you chocolate or ice cream.”  
“No, I’m fine. Let me do the dishes.”  
“Wow, now it’s service time for me.”  
“Yes. Catch your shower, I can see you’re tired.”  
“I am. Sleep tight.” Sara got up.  
“I’ll try. I see you later, for lunch.”  
“Do you stay and cook?”  
“Maybe.” Sofia smirked. She could think about that. There was no reason to go back home, not immediately. She had to go home later for changing and packing some stuff for the next time she stayed here at Sara’s place. A big bag and Sara could take it with her tomorrow morning.   
Why didn’t she have the idea of going away for a weekend with Sara earlier? Okay, it was difficult to get two days in a row off together, and it would be even more difficult to get them on a weekend but when they could find somebody flexible, they could take the two days during the week.   
She hung the tea towel over a chair and walked to her sleep place. Hopefully she stayed awake until Sara was done in the bathroom, she wanted to brush her teeth. Her teddy bear, that was living here permanently so that she couldn’t forget it, was waiting for her. With a smile she snuggled with it under the blanket. She had to say for a sofa this one was very comfortable. That was a reason why she slept so often here, she liked the sofa.   
Ten minutes later the bathroom was free and Sofia didn’t feel like sleeping. She brushed her teeth, walked back to her sofa and her teddy bear and looked at the ceiling. Why wasn’t she able to sleep? She was tired. But somehow she wasn’t settled. She was unsteady and nervous. Restless. There was no reason for that.   
Another ten minutes later she took her teddy and got up. With sad puppy eyes she walked over to Sara’s bedroom, finding the brunette in bed, listening to an audio book. The usual way for Sara to fall asleep.   
“I can’t sleep.” Sofia whined.   
“What are you? A toddler?” Sara didn’t bother to open her eyes.   
“Yes.”  
“Sounds like.” She moved her blanket a bit. “All right, come here.”  
Sofia smiled. That was easy, as far as she could remember her mother had never let her that easy in her bed when Sofia was a toddler and couldn’t sleep. The captain told her, she had to be a big girl and not a whiny baby and sent her away.   
“Thanks.” Sofia commented Sara’s arm around her waist with a smile and closed her eyes.   
“Shut up and sleep.”  
“You have a soft spot, somewhere deep, deep inside you.”  
“Don’t make me kick you out of the bed again.” Sara warned.   
“You wouldn’t do that.”  
“Don’t dare me.”  
“I won’t. Night Sara Sunshine.”  
“Night Smuggy.”  
“Grumpy Smurf.” Sofia bit on her lips when Sara pinched her. Now she could sleep.

Part 4

“Tell me why I can sleep like a baby when I’m in your arms when I only one minute before couldn’t close my eyes.” Sofia demanded to know when Sara’s alarm clock woke them up.  
“Because you don’t want to sleep on the sofa, you want to be in my bed and you know, when you come here and whine, I can’t send you away.”  
“That sounds calculating.”  
“That’s what you are.”  
“No…not with a bad intention at least. I like being with you. We’ll share a bed in Waikiki, get used to it.”  
“I can still say no.”  
“You wouldn’t do that to me.”  
“You think?”  
“I know.” Sofia got up. “I’ll start cooking, what do you want?”  
“Something delicious. Nothing you can order.”  
“I won’t react to that and leave you. See you in a few minutes, Grumpy Smurf.”  
“Whatever, Smuggy.”  
Sara snuggled back in her blanket. Five more minutes. Ten highest. When she could manage to come out of the bathroom just in time when Sofia finished cooking it would be like holiday.   
She put on some clothes, looked at her cell to find out if there were any missed calls and was pleased that nobody had tried to call her. With a smile on her face she walked in the kitchen to join Sofia.   
“I found everything for a vegetarian paella.” Sofia gave Sara the spoon. “All you have to do is looking beautiful – what you already do – and paying some attention to it. It should need another ten minutes but you never know.”  
“Okay.”  
“That’s my girl.” Sofia grinned and left.   
“She’s crazy – and I like her for that.” Sara opened her freezer and found some ice cream. Perfect. Together with some fruits and chocolate, that would be their dessert. Sara planed to live on ice cream and salad when they were in Hawaii. It was supposed to be always very warm and humid.   
Oh she had to get a guide book of Hawaii and find out where to go. There were a few islands, they’d go to Waikiki, meant they’d go to Oahu. But she was sure there were flights or boot tours to the other islands. She wanted to see a volcano. If she could make Sofia join her on a flight over a volcano? And a Luau. A rainforest tour and…maybe one week wasn’t enough for her and Hawaii.   
Arms from behind were pulled around her and she felt a warm body on her back.   
“Are you thinking again?” Sofia placed her head on Sara’s shoulder.  
“A little bit.”  
“I hope it’s not the case.”  
“No, it was about Hawaii. I was thinking what I want to see and what I want to do…would you join me on a flight over a volcano?”  
“Do you want to get hot? I’m sure there are other ways to make you feel hot.”  
“I’m sure it will be hot there anyway. No, I’d like to see a volcano, want to walk over lava if it’s possible and…I don’t know. I think it would be great to stand in front of a volcano and see this huge mountain, knowing, it could kill you every second.”  
“The chance to get killed is nothing I’d combine with ‘great’ but I get you. Yeah, if we find a flight to a volcano, we can take it. It’s our holiday, I want you to do things, you’d like to do.”  
“Ditto.”  
“I’m sure we can find things we agree on. If not, there’s no rule that says we have to be together 24/7. We can go separate ways and meet afterwards again. If you don’t find yourself a lover, you’ll end up every night in the same bed with me.”  
“You make that sound like punishment.”  
“Isn’t it?”  
“You know it isn’t.” Sara turned and hugged Sofia. With her lips close to the blondes ears she said: “I’m very happy to have you, Sofia. Very, very happy. I can’t imagine how my life would be without you.”  
“Sounds almost like a declaration of love.” Sofia kissed Sara’s cheek. “I love you too, Sara. And I’m as happy as you are to have you in my life. I can’t imagine a better friend.”  
“Good.” Sara didn’t want to let go of Sofia.   
“Is everything alright, Honey?”  
“Yeah. I just thought, it’s sad that you don’t tell people who are important to you, how important they are and what you feel for them. You think about these things usually when it’s too late and I wanted you to know before it’s too late. I want you to know how important you are to me.”  
“You know, if you cry on my good suit, I’ll kick your ass.” Sofia chuckled.   
Sara laughed and got out of Sofia’s arms. “I’d never ruin this…expensive suit. I don’t want to know how expensive exactly.”  
“I won’t tell you. Are you ready for lunch?”  
“Yes.”  
“Is lunch ready for lunch?”  
“I was taking care of it while I was dreaming, so yes, we can have lunch now.” 

“How are you doing with your case, Sara?” Grissom joined Sara who was working on her new evidence.  
“I’ve got her clothes and everything else, that belonged to her. So far nothing exciting. I found some hairs, some fibers, sent them to traces and DNA. They might pop up a name.”  
“Keane?”  
“Probably. Their were sleeping together for three weeks, I guess there are some hairs of him in the room – even if I doubt he was ever there.”  
“The way the room looks on your photos.” Grissom turned the crime scene photos Sara had laid next to the evidence. “I doubt that too. Not his style.”  
“No. We called the local health authority.”  
“I bet the front desk man is your new best friend.”  
“He can be glad that Sofia didn’t get him for sexual harassment after some comments he made.”  
“Isn’t she used to it?”  
“She is, but that doesn’t matter.”  
“No, it doesn’t. You can help her out.”  
“She can help herself, she’s the detective.”  
“She’s your girlfriend.”  
“Huh?” Sara furrowed her brows. “I hope you’re talking of platonic girlfriend.”  
“Am I?” She smiled a bit.  
“Yes you are. At least as far as I know and I should know who is a platonic friend and who isn’t.” She gave him a good look. “Are you jealous?”  
“No.” He laughed. “I was just hoping you’re happy.”  
“I am happy. And yes, Sofia is a reason why I am happy, but she’s not making me happy by being my lover. She makes me happy by being a very, very good friend. If you want you can send me all the time to her crime scenes, I promise she’ll take good care of me.”  
“I bet she will. Unfortunately I don’t know all the time who is waiting for us at a scene. I’m sure you’ll find some time to meet detective Curtis…in Waikiki maybe.”  
“Definitely. If you’re nice to us we’ll send you a postcard.”  
“How could I refuse that? Have fun finding one with bugs on it.”  
“That will be hard. I’m afraid it will be something like a half naked woman.”  
“How boring.” Grissom laughed. “Let me know if you need some help. And Sara? If you don’t find anything big here tonight I’ve to get you off the case tomorrow. I can’t afford to keep you on this all the time, I need you in other cases. You’re too good to be on only one case.”  
“Thanks.” She smiled. Nice to hear that he appreciated her work so much, but she hated to move on to another case without having the last one finished. Unfortunately she couldn’t solve every case she was on. There were some – too many in her eyes – that were never solved. 

“Did you find anything?” Sofia had given Sara a few hours for the evidence. While Sara was processing, Sofia had been called to a new case. She had the same problem like Sara, there were more than this one case in Las Vegas and she had to shift her attention towards new cases.   
“I’ve got a hair from Keane that was on a dress.”  
“Nothing that surprises me.”  
“Me neither.” Sara looked at Sofia. “You have been out.”  
“Yeah, new case. Petrol station on the highway, robbery gone bad, one dead.”  
“Shit.”  
“Greg’s case. Why?”  
“Just wondering how busy you are and if you have some time for me.”  
“Honey, for you I’ve got all the time in the world.” Sofia grinned. “What’s up?”  
“Got another match.” Sara pushed a sheet of paper towards the detective.   
“If you dare to go there, if you dare to investigate in that direction, if you dare to call this person, if you dare…”  
“Stop threatening me and come to the point.”  
“You won’t do anything, and I mean anything, without me or a few other officers. Do you hear me, Sara Sidle? Nothing. You won’t do anything alone.” Sofia didn’t need much to see the other person who came up, was a member of a slave trade ring. Knowing Sara, the brunette had already plans to see this man.   
“You worry again.”  
“Sara, it’s not funny.”  
“Calm down, I’m here, I didn’t leave when I got the result. Looks like I was waiting for you, doesn’t it?”  
“Yeah.” Sofia took the sheet. “Stay here until I’m back. I need to tell Jim about this.”  
“Okay.”  
“Promise.”  
“You can trust me.”  
“I do as soon as you promise me you’ll wait.”  
“I won’t go anywhere without you. I promise.”  
“Thanks.” With a last look at Sara Sofia left the room and went straight back to the police department. She knew was in the house at the moment and she wanted to catch him before he left again.   
“Jim?” He was on his desk.  
“What’s up, Sofia?”  
“You remember our dumpster girl?”  
“The case I got you away from? Yes.”  
“I think I’m on it again; and so are you.” She gave him the sheet of paper.   
“Suspect?”  
“Sara found a hair of him on the girl’s clothes.”  
“You know what that means?”  
“Jose Albarez was a suspect in a case over a year ago. We were on him because he was suspected to be the head of a slave trade ring, bringing young women from Eastern Europe and Asia in the country. At that time we had four dead bodies, all linked to him but we didn’t have any evidence. He was guilty, you knew it, I knew it. I want him down this time.”  
“He has got very good lawyers.”  
“We will have good evidence.”  
“A hair? It’s a start but need more for him. He’s slimy, he will slip if we don’t have anything to catch him.”  
“I want him in the box.”  
“You find a judge who will give you a warrant and I’m more than happy to bring him in.”  
“I will.” Sofia took her sheet.  
“Sofia?”  
“Yeah?” She turned. “Don’t go after him alone. He and his men are down and dirty. You and Sara are not the two musketeers.”  
“No, we take you and Grissom with us, there are three musketeers and D’Artagnan.”  
“Maybe it’s even better when for this lovely story a little army is ready to back-up.”  
“Don’t worry I don’t have a dead wish; I’ve got Hawaii coming up, I won’t miss that.” Sofia smiled and left.   
Sara was still working on the evidence.  
“I need more than this hair.”  
“So do I. A coffee would be a nice start.” Sara answered without looking up.   
Sofia smirked and got them two coffees.   
“Jim says we’ve to take a little army with us, he is in too. And we need something really good for Albarez, we couldn’t get him the last time, I want him now. No go alone, Sara.”  
“I promised you to wait.”  
“Yeah, for the time I was in Jim’s office. I mean it for the whole case, Sara.”  
“You mean it for all cases I work, Sofia.”   
“Yes.” The blonde sighed.   
“I know who our suspect is, I’m not suicidal, I won’t go anywhere without you guys by my side. Can’t help the innocents when I’m dead, can I?”  
“No.” Sofia was released that Sara saw it the way Sofia did. “I’ll try to get a warrant as soon as it’s a more reasonable time to call a judge. With more than a hair it would be easier.”  
“I got your hint, I’m on it. Concentrate on your other case, detective, I’m alright.”  
“I’m back in a bit. Your coffee gets cold, investigator.” 

Sara had some more DNA results back at the official end of her shift. And something from trace. She didn’t call Sofia, knowing the detective would come along as soon as she had some time. Meanwhile Sara could try to find some more, looked for cases, that might be related to the one they were working on now.   
“Can I call the judge?” Sofia came the third time tonight to talk to Sara, who was sitting in the break room, having a coffee and a bagel.   
“It’s early, isn’t it?”  
“When you have the things we need it’s not too early.”  
“Does she have the things we need?” Grissom came in, took some coffee and joined Sara at the table.   
“I’ve got two more DNA matches, Emilio Sanchez and Pedro Cassias. Both with a rap sheet, attempted rape, drugs, domestic violence. Both known as friends of Albarez.”  
“Sanchez is his second hand in his organization, I did some research.” Grissom said. “He was a Marine, we definitely need a little army if we’re going to invite these three men in our lovely place here.”  
“What else?”  
“You remember that we didn’t find anything on Cassey? Olga.”  
“Yeah.”  
“She was washed. I got Hodges to tell me with which lotion, nothing special, you get it in every supermarket. Anyway the wife of Cassias owns a supermarket and an officer, who made a little break in there, told me, our lotion is available there. Nothing big, but I thought we start adding the little things until they become big.   
And I’ve checked on these three guys. All three of them have a .45 caliber registered. Another little thing on the list. Unfortunately there were no cases in which one of them had used his gun and we know about it. No match with bullet, no other open cases with dead women, who got shot by a .45 caliber.   
What I’m currently working on is to find out when and where they came in the country. From previous cases we know the ring prefers to get their women in the country via New York. I called the guys in New York and asked if they’ve got anything against our guys. They don’t but they’ve got an eye on them. It seems like the HQ is in Manhattan. According to detective Flack they have somebody on these guys and the last time Albarez was at JFK and came back with a dozen women, is six weeks ago. I think two weeks are enough time to get rid off Albarez and hitchhike through the country to here. These girls have nothing to lose. They find out fast in what kind of shit they’re in and the smart ones go to the police or at least run away. It seemed like Olga could speak English, she took the opportunity and ran.   
The police in New York picked up a couple of women from Eastern Europe and Asia without a visa or any knowledge of the English language. They assume some of them might be from Albarez’ ring. Detective Flack is checking on security cameras and photos his men have taken if there’s anybody who matches Cassey.”  
“Damn, you were busy.” Sofia smiled.  
“You thought I do nothing else than staring at dirty clothes? You should know me better, detective.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Flack sent me a dozen photos of women the ring brought in the country the last couple of months. I’d like to go show them to Heather and her colleagues. Maybe one or two of them are in Vegas. And maybe they want to remember that they saw them. Most people don’t want any trouble with Albarez.”  
“I know Heather will cooperate, I doubt everybody else will do that.” Grissom said.   
“I know. But if she only remembers one or two of them, it’s another hint, that Albarez is working as a slave trader and not a…what does he call himself? Information and first help guide for immigrates.”  
“Funny, all his immigrates are young beautiful woman.” Sofia didn’t hold the sarcasm back.  
“Lucky man, many men would kill for a job like this.” Grissom smirked.   
“He does kill. So yeah, it’s six, let’s don’t upset a judge by waking him up, let’s wait until we have asked around and NYPD has called back. Sofia, do you join me to Heathers?”  
“Sure.”  
“Do you have a list of clubs you want to visit, Sara?”  
“Sure Grissom.” Sara chuckled. She was organized.   
“I’ll get an officer and start at the other end, this way we might hit on something faster.”  
“Sure you don’t want to start at my end?”  
“No, I’m fine. Two hours, then Sofia can call a judge. Who are you going to call?”  
“Mayer.”   
“The man for organized crime.”  
“Really?” Sofia grinned wide. She had made her decision for a good reason and the reason wasn’t because she liked the name or it came up first.   
The second time in one week they stopped in front of Lady Heather’s house and the second time, the Lady opened the door herself.   
“Detective Curtis, Sara, what a pleasure to meet you again so soon.”  
“Hello Lady Heather, sorry to disturb you again.”  
“Sara, you can be sure, whenever I open the door myself, you don’t disturb me. Do you have time for a coffee?”  
“Sure.” There was no reason to hurry and it wasn’t polite to decline the offer after they appeared here without any notice before. Lady Heather guided them back in her personal area, offered them a seat on the sofa and got three cups of coffee.   
“What brings you back to me? I doubt it’s private pleasure, even when your shift must be over, the detective is still wearing her badge.”  
“No, no private pleasure, Heather.” Sara laughed. “I think if I’d visit you for a private pleasure, I’d visit you in the afternoon, bring some cake along. This time is business again, you’re right.”  
“So, what can I do for LVPD?”  
“Could you take a look at these photographs and tell us if you’ve seen any of these women or if any of them are working here.”  
“Sara, I don’t have any illegal immigrants working for me, you know that.”  
“I know. But they do sometimes have really good faked passports.”  
“Where are they from?”  
“Mostly Eastern Europe, Asia.”  
“Countries with poor English. I do have two Asian looking women working here, but both are born in the US. Nevertheless I’ll will of course look at your photos.” Lady Heather took a good look at all photos. At the end she placed one photo in front of Sara and Sofia.   
“I’m not sure but I think I’ve seen these two men.” She pointed on two brown haired women on the photo. “Two months ago. They came in with a Mexican man, asking for work. I don’t take women who are accompanied by men, especially not if these men aren’t simpatico to me. I sent them away, so I can’t tell you where they are.”  
“Is any of these three men the man who was with them?” Sara got the photos of Albarez, Sanchez and Cassias out.   
“Yes, he.” Heather pointed on Cassias. “Am I allowed to know who they are?”  
“We think they are the head of a slave trade ring, that brings young women from Eastern Europe and Asia on faked passports in the US to sell them to rich men or let them work as prostitutes.” Sofia said.   
“We don’t do prostitution here, detective.” Heather smiled.  
“You sell sex, no matter if they have sex with the men or not, they make a lot of money with it and these three men want the money.”  
“We sell pleasure.”  
“The same.”  
“Not every sex is a pleasure, detective and not every pleasure includes sex.”  
“Whatever…”  
“There is a difference, detective.”  
“I’m not here to talk to you about sex and pleasure, I’m here to ask you about slave trade and murder.” Sara’s hand found her way back to Sofia’s hand. Her friend had been so good this time, no need to get angry in the last minutes.   
“So you did.”  
“Heather, you don’t happen to know what date exactly they were here?” Sara asked.   
“I don’t think I wrote that down but I’ll have a look for you. Would you please excuse me?” She got up and left the room.  
“You know.” Sara’s finger was stroking over Sofia’s hand. “She isn’t trying to insult you, she isn’t trying to test you, there no reason why you are so angry all the time.”  
“I’m not angry.”  
“Yes, you are, Sofia. As soon as we arrive here, you get angry and you behave like a wounded animal in a cage, trying to bite the one who wants to help. We don’t have to talk about that now, but I’d like to know why you react like that.”  
“Sara…”  
“Not now, Sofia. This is business and your feelings are private. They deserve better than a minute in between. And you deserve to tell me when you like and not when I ask for it. I don’t want to force you and I don’t judge, okay Honey?”  
“Okay.” Sofia smiled a little bit.   
“Good. And I wonder if Grissom has also a leak or if we’re the better ones.”  
“We’re always the better ones.” Now Sofia was wide smiling.   
“I’m sorry, I don’t have it noticed. Usually I write down when somebody starts.”   
“That’s alright, thanks Heather.” Sara got up. “You helped us a lot.”  
“I hope I helped these poor women too.”  
“We’ll make sure you did. Grissom sent his regards.”  
“I’ll call him later, we didn’t have coffee for a long time. Care to join us, Sara? Detective?”  
“I think, the two of you talk first and we can meet another time later.” Sara smiled.   
“Detective?”  
“Why do you want me there?” Sofia asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.  
“You’re a close friend of Sara, I like Sara. But you don’t have to join us, if you don’t feel comfortable.”   
“I’ll be there.” Sofia said, ignoring the little laughter of her friend.   
“That would be very nice. Stay safe, detective and take good care of your CSI.”  
“I will. Even if she doesn’t make that job too easy.” Sofia grinned.   
“Bla, bla, all lies. Talk to you soon, Heather and thanks again. Come on, detective Gossip, move it. We’ve got some more places to go.” Sara pushed Sofia out of the house and waved at Heather before she entered the car. After Sofia said she would join them for a coffee at one point in the near future, Sara was sure, she’d get her friend to be more polite and less suspicious towards Lady Heather. It was all a question of time, but in this case, the time was working for and not against her. 

When they came back to the police department a surprise was waiting for Sofia in front of the department; or standing.   
“Detective.”  
“Keane, what do you want?” She wasn’t happy to see the man again. She had given away the roses, she had made it clear to him, he was wasting his time on her and he it seems like he didn’t understand.   
“As I understood I’m not your suspect anymore.”  
“And who told you that?”  
“A friend.”  
“I’m glad you’ve got friends. Go and see them.” Sofia wanted to go on, but he got her arm and stopped her from walking away.   
“Let go. Now.” Sofia said quietly and controlled. “Otherwise I’ve to get you in for assaulting an officer.”  
“I don’t assault you.”  
“I won’t repeat myself, Keane.” Her eyes were small. He opened his fingers and gave her arm free. Without a word Sofia walked away, joining Sara, who was waiting a few yards away.   
“Are you alright?”  
“Yeah. He can be glad that he’s alright. The next time he touches me I’ll show him what pain means.”  
“What did he want?”  
“Whatever he wanted, he didn’t get it. Forget him, we’ve got something more important to do.”  
Sara wanted to say something but made the decision it was better to let go. It wasn’t the time to talk about Keane, they had to concentrate on their case. They found Grissom in his office, Brass in front of the desk.  
“The three musketeers and D’Artagnan are together. “Sofia smiled.   
“What?”  
“Jim understands me. Did you get anything, Grissom?”  
“A lot of people with bad memories. You?”  
“One Lady with a good memory who wants to see you soon for tea. You’re supposed to call her.” Sara said with a smile.   
“Didn’t you visit whorehouses?” Jim asked suspicious.   
“Brass, they’re illegal, we visit places for pleasure.” Sara teased.   
“Yeah. And one of these pleasure sisters knows Gil? You’re full of surprises, old friend.”  
“What did you tell Heather?” Grissom ignored Brass.   
“I’ll tell you and you’ll call her. You better do that, Gilbert Grissom. And when you and Heather had a lovely afternoon, Sofia and me will come over for dinner.”  
“Is that kind of foursome? If so, Gil is the happiest man in the world.”  
“I don’t want my boss talking about me like that.” Sofia furrowed her brows. “Stop that right away and get back to business. Lady Heather recognized two of the women, they were at her place a few weeks ago and they weren’t alone. Cassias was with them.”  
“That’s a start.”  
“I’ve got this picture that shows Cassias with Cassey, I think that’s reason enough to get him in for an interview.” Sara said.   
“What’s about the warrant?”  
“I’ll call judge Mayer soon. So far there’s nothing on Albraz but we can have him in and question him. We need something that places Cassey in his house, I’m not sure if knowing her is enough for Mayer.”  
“Add your charm and you’ll get the warrant.” Brass grinned.   
“Would you stop to reduce me to my body?”  
“I was talking about your sharp mind.”  
“Yeah, sure. Isn’t it enough that this jerk outside is stalking me and trying to get into my life?”  
“Which jerk?” Immediately Brass was all cop and serious.   
“Keane.”  
“Mister Roses? He’s outside. Why?”  
“I don’t know. He started with that he had heard he isn’t a suspect anymore and when he tried to stop me from walking inside I made it very clear to him, he’d regret holding me back if wouldn’t let me go immediately.”  
“He’s quite into Sofia.”   
“There must a language problem between him and me. Every time I say ‘no’ he understands ‘yes, go on.’. I don’t know why. Do I numble?”  
“Sometimes.” Sara chuckled. “When you’re sleeping, but you were very clear to him.”  
“Thanks.”  
“What else does she do when she’s sleeping?” Grissom asked with a smirk.  
“I guess dreaming. I haven’t heard her saying your name, Griss, so I can’t tell you she dreams of you.”  
“Well, she changed in front of my eyes – but she said she wore underwear.”  
“Hello? Is this the ‘picking-on-Sofia-group’?”  
“I’m not picking on you, Dear, I’m on your side. And if you go and call the judge, I call New York back and we meet here with the two busy looking men again.”  
“That’s something sensible…why do we work and they don’t?”  
“They’re older, they need to rest.” Sara laughed and pulled Sofia out of the office. 

“We’ve got a warrant for Albaraz and his business place.” Sofia said. “It comes through to your office, Grissom.”  
“You’re great, Sofia.”  
“She knows that.” Sara came in. “She’s even better than great.”  
“Thanks Sara. What do you want?”  
“Nothing. That was for free. I’ve got the address of Cassias. Shall we both bring in right now and have a look at the business place? New York is working with our information, they try to get a warrant for the business place there and detective Flack is emailing me the whole folder with their investigation information.”  
“If we go to Albarez office first, the rest will disappear immediately.” Brass assumed. “We need to get both at the same time. I’ll send some officers to get Cassias, he’ll call for a lawyer what gives us some time for the alpha dog. I’ve no idea how big the place of his is, you think the two of you will be alright in there?” He looked at Grissom and Sara.   
“Sure. If not, we’ve got a back-up CSI with us. Detective Curtis gets some gloves, I’m sure she’s still good in her old job.”  
“Grissom, the keyword was ‘old’ job. I’m not a CSI anymore, I’ll stand around and protect you and Sara.”  
“How good that your boss is with you and can tell you what to do.” Brass smiled. “We should…”  
“Excuse me.” A delivery man knocked on the door. “The man at the front desk told me I can find a detective Curtis here?”  
“That would be me.” Sofia got up.   
“I need you to sign here, please.” He gave her a form and a little box.  
“What is that?”  
“I don’t know, I’m just the delivery boy.”  
“Yeah sure, sorry.” She gave him the form back.  
“Thanks.”  
“Thank you.” Sofia turned the little box. “What the hell is that?”  
“You’re the detective, go detect.”  
“Very funny, Sidle.” Sofia torn the paper apart and a box, clearly a jewelry box, showed up.   
“I guess nothing good.” She opened the box. A golden collar. “Great.” Her voice said everything but not that she was happy with that gift.   
“That’s looks rather nice. May I?”   
“Sure.” She gave the box to Grissom and took the card. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding and would like to invite you to dinner, detective. Please accept the little gift as an apology. Keane.  
“This is gold, and I’m not talking about 8 carat, I’m talking about 24 carat. This is very valuable, Sofia.”  
“Yeah? He can put his valuable gold where the sun’s not shinning, I don’t want it.”  
“If you had to pay for it, you pay at least a four months pay.”  
“Still don’t want it. And, that’s the good thing, I can’t take it. Bribe.”  
“He’s not a suspect anymore.” Sara liked the collar and very tempted to put it on. On the other side she could understand what Sofia meant. The blonde was right, she couldn’t keep this one. She would get in trouble for that.   
“This guy is really into you.” Brass looked at the collar. “I wouldn’t buy something like that for a woman. Not even for my ex wife when she was still my wife.”  
“Maybe that’s why she’s your ex-wife. “Grissom suggested and put the collar back in the box.   
“In that case I’m happy that I kept my money for myself.”  
“Jim, I don’t want to give it back.”  
“Sofia, you can’t keep it.”  
“I know, I don’t want to keep it.”  
“But?”  
“But what if I go over to the cash shop, sell it there, get a sales slip and donate the money to the Breast Cancer Foundation? They’re in front of the department and I’m sure they’d like to get this money. It won’t be a bribe then anymore.”  
“In that case Keane has bribed the foundation which is perfectly fine.”  
“Give me five minutes and I’ll be back…do I need a witness?”  
“I’m sure the foundation will give you something when you ask.”  
“Perfect. Five minutes and we can leave and do our job.” Sofia took the box and left the room.   
“Smart woman.” Brass smiled satisfied with his detective.   
“Yeah. Most woman would keep it, the others would send it back, she makes him pay without giving him the satisfaction that she keeps his gift. I hope he gets the message.” Sara sighed.  
“How bad is he?”  
“He’s annoying. She told him she isn’t interested, he doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”  
“He follows her?”  
“No, that the first time they met without having an appointment. He did send flowers to her apartment and she gave them all away.”  
“He’s not a suspect anymore, he can stop bribing the primary. Or do you think he’s really interested?”  
“Yeah, as he interested in ninety percent of all women around him.”  
“Sofia won’t like that.”  
“No, she doesn’t.”  
“You take care of her? I mean…” He said when Sara raised an eye brow. “When you’re both off. You’re not there to protect a detective, I mean when you’re both off. You spend a lot of time together…”  
“I’ll make sure she’s fine as far as I can do that. Don’t worry Jim, I don’t let my friends down. She knows what she wants and she knows how to protect herself. But I’ll make sure she isn’t too much alone the next time.” That shouldn’t be a problem; after all they spend often enough the time after work together at one’s place. 

Part 5

Together with two officers they entered the house Albarez had his office in. At the same time Brass ordered four other officers to get Cassias in custody to give them no time to call each other and take off.   
“Mister Albarez? LVPD.” Brass called out when they entered the building. No answer. “You stay here.” He ordered one of the officers. “And you go around the building. The detective and me will go in.”   
White walls and four white doors was all they could see. No stairs for the second level, no evidence of anybody around. Brass knocked on the first door and with Sofia behind him, securing his back, he opened the door. An office. A desk, computer, file cabinets, two chairs and a printer.   
“Clear.”  
“Looks like nobody is in.” Sofia’s eyes searched the hallway.   
“I wonder if the birds got a tip.” Brass moved to the second door. Another office and nobody inside.   
The third room was a kind of break room mixed with a living room. A huge sofa, a table, chairs and some empty coffee mugs.   
“The sign at the front said open from 9a, to 5pm.” Sara had walked back to make sure they were here in business time.   
“And the door was unlocked. You don’t leave your business alone and don’t lock the door. Not unless you’re in a hurry.” Sofia opened the last door. A bathroom. Quite dirty, but empty.   
“Shit.”  
“Control this captain Brass, did you get Cassias?”  
“No, nobody is home, captain. We’re still looking around the premises, but so far it’s empty.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Somebody told Keane he isn’t a suspect anymore.” Sara started slowly.   
“Who was that?” Grissom asked.   
“He mentioned it. A friend, was all he said.” Sofia put her gun away. “Perhaps he and Albarez share a friend and this friend told Albarez, he is a suspect now.”  
“You think we’ve got a rat in the department?” Brass wasn’t happy about that thought.   
“A little bribe and some people love to talk. Keane definitely has the money to bribe and I’m sure, Albarez isn’t poor either.”  
“It’s kind strange that both are away. I’ll check outside, you stay here Sofia. I mean, we’ve a warrant, no reason why Grissom and Sara shouldn’t have a look around.”  
“Okay.”   
“I’ll send an officer inside after the outside is clear and we both can talk to the neighbors.”  
“This area looks like everybody wants to talk to the police.” Sofia sighed. She doubted anybody had seen anything, regardless what they’d asked for.   
“I’ll start in the office at the front.” Sara took her kit and followed Sofia to the front, where the detective stayed.   
“What did the foundation women say?” Sara asked through the open door. Usually she preferred to work in silence, this time, the scene wasn’t really secured and she wanted to hear Sofia’s voice. Sara had no idea why she was a little bit jumpy but the voice of the detective calmed her down fast.   
“She didn’t want to believe it.”  
“How much was it?”  
“Ten thousand.”  
“Wow.”  
“Yeah, I’m sure it was a poor deal for me, my clerk offered me eight first, I asked for twelve, we met in the middle. With a little bit more time I’m sure I’d have got more, but I didn’t have the time for games. Ten grand will help them a little bit and she was more than happy to give me a receipt. I sent it to the Sheriff, after he was the generous man in the name of the police department. Good politics for him.”  
“Are you playing politics?”  
“A bit.”  
“Want to become a lieutenant?”  
“Yes.”  
“I thought so.”  
“I’ll make lieutenant without bribing the Sheriff, don’t worry. That isn’t my style.”  
“I know.” Sara tried to open a filing cabinet, but it was locked. “Got your special skills still, detective?”  
“And which of my special skills do you need, Sara?” Sofia smiled coy.   
“Get your thoughts out of the gutter, detective. I need you to open this lock.”  
“That was exactly what I was thinking of.” Sofia smiled and walked to Sara’s kit while the investigator had the front door in her eyes. She could open the lock herself, but Sofia was faster and left less traces. Sara had no idea where Sofia had learnt how to open locks without keys and with almost no traces left and she was sure, the detective wouldn’t tell or teach her.   
“All yours.”  
“Thanks detective, I knew you would come handy one day.”  
“Every day.”  
“Oh Smuggy.” Sara chuckled and got her attention back to the cabinet.   
Sara opened the drawer and found a lot of files. She opened the first ones, took a few of them and walked back to Grissom.   
“I think I’ve got the menu.”  
“We’re in a restaurant?” Grissom looked up. He was lifting finger prints from the table, the cups and the chairs.   
“Anna, twenty-two, five foot six, blond and deep blue eyes, a delicious taste for the man who know what quality is and appreciates a high level of quality. Her rid wine lips will make you more than happy.”  
“Can you order her in medium?”   
“I’m sure. Or with cream and sugar.”  
“Sounds promising and delicious. Order one for Ecklie, he might enjoy that.”   
Sara had to laugh. “Isn’t that too much torture for the woman? No, seriously, Gil, they sell these women to rich men.”  
“They call it immigration help.”  
“Sure…what’s that?” She bent down and got a cable, that lead into a cabinet.   
“I don’t know, I wasn’t that far.”  
Sara opened the cabinet. A computer screen.   
“I think they saw us coming.” Sara could see how one of the officers took over Sofia’s place. There had to be a camera somewhere above or around the door.   
“How and where did they go to?” Grissom asked. “We were in front of the door, I haven’t seen any other door.”  
“Neither have I.” Sara took her cell phone. “Sofia, could you do me a favor before you and Brass go?”  
“What’s that?”  
“Go to the car and come towards the door. Tell me from which moment on you can see the hallway.”   
“Okay.” Sofia walked under Grissom’s and Sara’s eye to the police car and back. She stopped after only a few steps.   
“Sara? I can see the hallway now.”  
“It took you seven steps.”  
“Per…how do you know?”  
“Take a look around, there must be a camera somewhere. I’ve you on screen and watch every step you take.”  
“They saw us?” Sofia looked around.   
“Yes.”  
“How did they…I got the camera. It’s under the roof on the right side. Want me to get it down?”  
“No, that’s alright. We need to find a way out of this room, were there any footprints under the window?”  
“I’ll have a look for you.”  
“Thanks.” She turned to Grissom. “Any idea how they left?”  
“Open sesame?”   
“Say it again, nothing moved.”  
“Maybe words are not the trigger. Remember the case with the baby room?”  
“Yeah. This casino guy who had a hidden room decorated like a baby room for his private pleasure.”  
“We need to find the secret door.”  
Sara looked around the room. “Well, there won’t be one in this wall, it’s to the hallway. That wall brings you in the other office, doesn’t help either when you want to escape from somebody who’s at the front. This wall is to the outside, Sofia hasn’t called so I guess there’re no footprints, which left us to…”  
“The northern wall.” Grissom finished her thought. “I wondered the whole time why there are two stories but no stairs. I haven’t seen any outside, so how do you get to the second level?”  
“Open sesame?”  
“Abracadabra.” Grissom and Sara got to the northern wall and started to run their hands over it. Somewhere had to be something to touch that would make the wall move. Or open a little door.   
“What are you doing?” Both spun around. Sofia and Brass were in the room, watching the two CSIs touching the wall.   
“We’re following an idea.” Sara went on. “If they saw us on the screen, they had to leave the room somewhere. Unless you don’t tell us there are shoeprints outside, we’re looking at the only possibility.”  
“No shoeprints, are we chasing David Copperfield now? Or Chris Angel? They are the only ones who can walk through walls.”  
“Everybody can with the right amount of money or the right know-how.”  
“Are the two thinking of the baby room case?” Brass asked.  
“Yes.”  
“Baby room? Ewe, the milk and…I remember.” Sofia made a grimace. “Walking milk buffet.”  
“Yes.” Both stopped in front of a framed poster of the Statue of Liberty.   
“Too obviously.” Sara shook her head.  
“Too obviously works sometimes best.” Grissom got one side of the frame, Sara took the other. Slowly they removed it and smiled. Behind the frame was a kind of safe, but the door was big enough for an adult to climb through it. It was about a yard above the floor.   
“Well, we can try ‘open sesame’ again.” He offered.  
“Or abracadabra.”   
“How is you two open that one and we two go inside?” Brass offered, getting his gun.   
“Why do they always get the fun?” Sara asked.   
“They’re big bad ass cops, we’re the brain.”  
“I understand.” Sara tried to open the safe but the door didn’t open. “Looks like we need a combination first. Sofia?”  
“Sorry, I’m not the one with the brain.”  
“Stop bitching around, open the safe.”  
“I thought she’s a detective.” Grissom wondered.   
“So did I.” Brass said.  
“I’m a sister of the Beagle Boys.” She pressed her ear on the door and turned the combination lock. It took her a minute until a little ‘ping’ came from the door and Sofia smiled.   
“I think you can open it now, Sara.”  
“If you get tired of being in the law enforcement, I think I know how you’ll get a lot of money.” Brass eyed his colleague. “You’ll be my prime suspect for every bank robbery from now on.”  
“I leave that to my brothers.”  
“Where did you learn that?”  
“Sorry Grissom, I can’t tell you. It’s my secret. Sara tries to get that one out of me for ages but she’ll never know. A woman needs her secrets.”  
“Looks like. Okay, ready?” Grissom got the safe door and waited until Brass and Sofia nodded. Sara had her gun out as well. Carefully Grissom opened the door.   
“At least nobody shoots at us and it’s not a safe.” Sara sighed. If they had just open an ordinary safe, she would be disappointed now.   
“A small room.” Sofia’s head was through the door and the rest of her body followed it. And a door. Looks like this is a double protection. You come through the safe, you’ve to get through the door next.”   
Brass followed her through the safe door, not as elegant as Sofia.   
“You think we’ll be safe in there?” Sara asked Grissom.  
“We’re in a safe, where else do you think we’ll be safe?”  
“Malibu Beach?” She climbed through the whole.   
“Open sesame.” Sofia turned the doorknob. To all their surprises the door wasn’t locked.   
“Too easy.” Brass said. Inch by inch Sofia opened the door. All they could see was a white wall.  
“Shoeprints on the floor.” Grissom mumbled. Somebody had been here recently.   
“I hope there are not forty thieves waiting for us.” Sara got her gun ready.   
“Hallway’s clear.” Sofia was out of the small room. “There’s a staircase.”  
“Not the way to the promised land but to the second level.”   
“I like your sense of humor, Grissom.” Brass took the lead. Step by step they climbed up to the second level. It seemed like the place behind the safe door was for nothing else than entering the second level. No other doors, no windows, only a small one on the second level.   
A new door was waiting on top of the stairs. Brass and Sofia got ready, she opened the door, he stepped in. He was barely in the room when a bullet flew through the room and entered the wall only inches away from him. Immediately everybody was down.  
“LVPD, get your guns down!” No answer. Instead a new bullet flew through the room, this time it hit the door and ran through.   
Brass got his radio and called for back-up when some more bullets made their way through the door.   
Sara looked at the wall. It was a wooden wall, a bigger gun and their protection was gone, like the door.   
“I’ll get in there.” Without waiting for an answer Brass jumped from behind the door behind a desk, that was a yard away from the door and returned the fire.   
“Get the officers in here.” Sofia’s words were addressed to Sara and Grissom, but only Grissom moved.   
“Sara, get down with Grissom.”  
“What are going to do?”  
“I’ve got three shooters in here.” Brass called.   
“I’ll follow…” The loud crack let both dove to the floor, Sofia on top of Sara, protecting the investigator, who held her arms and hands over Sofia’s head to give her some protection. Not a bullet, a big rock was only two foot away from them. Where the hell got they a rock from? They were in a room and not in the Rocky Mountains.   
“You’re alright?” Sara asked.   
“Yeah. Get the hell out of here, Sara.”  
“What about you?”  
“I’ll go in. Go. Now!” She pushed Sara down the stairs. Sara hesitated.   
“Sofia?”  
“Sara please, don’t…”  
“Take this one if you have to go in.” Sara took off her bullet proof vest and handed it to Sofia.   
“You stay down.”  
“Promise.” She saw Sofia putting on the vest. When the detective closed it, Sara was down the stairs, trying to get out of the way of the two officers, who were coming up.  
“Three shooters according to Brass.” She told them.  
“Thanks.”  
Grissom was in the little room, on the phone, calling for back-up. Sara heard the bullets, she heard people yelling but when Brass’s words entered her ears, she felt like the whole world stood still and didn’t hear anything anymore; only the echo of his words.   
“Officer down!”   
It was too early for the two officers, they just arrived, he must talk about…  
“Oh my god! Sofia.” Before she could turn and ran upstairs, Grissom had her arm and pulled her towards him.   
“You can’t go there, Sara.”  
“They need help.”  
“You can’t go there.” He repeated.   
“Where’s your vest?”  
“I…I gave it to Sofia.”  
“Get the hell out of here, Sara. Now.”  
“I have to…”  
“Get out! Get the back-up in.”  
“An ambulance.”  
“I called one already when I came down, they’ll be here soon. Get the back-up in, the sooner the police has stopped the shooting, the ambulance can help Sofia.” He pushed her through the hole, making sure Sara left the room before he went up himself.   
When Sara left the house two black and whites stopped. Remembering that she wasn’t wearing her CSI vest anymore, she held up her badge.   
“They’re upstairs.” Not that the bullets didn’t tell them. “You need to take the last door left and climb through a hole in the wall.   
“Thanks Ma’am. Stay clear, please.”  
“There’s an officer down.” It didn’t sound better when she repeated that. A broken window over her let her jump. And Sara wasn’t the only one who had jumped. Through the window came a man, clearly not an officer. He landed on hands and legs, moaned and didn’t move for a second before he started to crawl.  
“You stop right there or I’ll shoot.” All she needed was the thought that this maybe had shot Sofia and her voice was very calm and very dangerous. He looked up. Sanchez.   
“Senorita, you don’t…”   
“Don’t move your hand an inch more or I’ll blow your head away.” She saw the gun on his leg. A security gun, like the police wore it.   
“You don’t shoot anybody.”  
“No, not anybody, but a man who sells women to wealthy perverts.” The ambulance arrived, but Sara didn’t hear them, nor did she hear anything from above her. She was focused on this man, ready to shoot as soon as he moved.   
Sanchez sensed that too and didn’t move.   
“Tell me, did you shoot the officer?”  
A little smile appeared on his face but was gone when a bullet entered the ground an inch from his left hand away.   
“No.”  
“Liar.” Sara loaded her gun  
“I didn’t, it was Albarez.” He yelled out, obviously in panic.   
“You get on your stomach, slowly, hands in front of you and if you move in any kind of way I don’t like, I’ll shoot you like your friend shoot the officer and believe me, with an officer down, no one in the law enforcement will give a second thought about a dead rat like you.” She waited until Sanchez was lying on the ground, grabbed his hands and cuffed them behind his back.   
Grissom came out of the house.   
“We need the EMTs in here, officer down and two suspects.” The EMTs ran into the house. What if they were too late? What if they couldn’t help Sofia anymore? What if they needed to carry her out of the house? There was no space, they couldn’t move her from…  
“Sara!” Grissom shook her. “Get the sledgehammer out of the car, we need to make the hole bigger.” He got Sanchez, pulled him up and got him towards one of the police cars.   
Sara woke up out of her rigor. Grissom was right, she had to do something. With the sledgehammer in her hands, she entered the house, a police officer coming out of the safe door.   
“May I?” He took the sledgehammer and started to enlarge the hole. The wooden wall was thin, he didn’t need much time to get a big hole in it. Sara slipped through and flew more up the stairs than she ran them. She tried to prepare herself for whatever was waiting for her, but she knew, it was impossible. She hadn’t been prepared when she saw Greg on the ground after his attack, no matter that Sofia had told her, he was alright, everything in her had been broken when she saw her younger friend lying there in his own blood.   
There she was, there was Sofia. She was on the stretcher, an EMT next to her.   
“Sofia.” Sara got on her knees. There was no blood, nothing that looked like it belonged to Sofia. But why didn’t she move? Why was nobody doing anything?   
“She’s alright, Sara.” Brass was sitting on a chair, the other EMT on his left arm.   
“What happened to you?” He had his own blood on him.  
“A bullet gazed me, don’t worry, I’m used to worse.”  
“Sofia?”  
“Sara?” Sofia’s voice was thin. The blonde opened her eyes. Pain was in them, but she was alive.   
“Officer, can you give me a hand, we need to bring her down.”  
“I can walk…I think.”  
“No, you can’t. Stay there, we’ll take care of you.”  
“What happened?” Sara asked.   
“She took two bullets, she’ll be fine.”  
“She took bullets!?!”  
“In the vest.” The EMT smiled lightly. “She’ll be alright, we get her to Desert Palms to make sure she didn’t get anything else.”  
“Don’t forget to bring some chocolate when you come and visit me.” Sofia pressed Sara’s hand for a second. Then the EMT and one of the police officers got her up and carried her out of the room.   
“And Sara?”  
“Yes?”  
“Thanks.”  
For the first time Sara had a look around. Two men were on the side of the room. They were stretched out long on the floor and didn’t move. Further in the room, in a small corner, were two women sitting, trembling and didn’t dare to move at all. Sara recognized them from the photos.   
“Albarez and Cassias are dead.” Brass clenched his teeth when the EMT sprayed something on his wound.   
“What about them?”  
“They’re alright.”   
Sra got up and walked to the women. Full with fear they tried to hide in their corner.   
“They brought you into the country. I saw photos of you. Two weeks ago, right? Who are you? Where are you from?”  
No answer.   
“They don’t speak English.” Brass informed her.   
“Nobody will hurt you anymore.” She got on her knees. “You’re safe. Do you understand?”  
They obviously didn’t. Sara sighed. She had no idea where they were from and even if she’d know, she didn’t speak any other language than English.   
“Sara?” Grissom was back.   
“Yes?”  
“Come on.” She got up. “What about them?”  
“I called somebody from the immigration office, they’ll bring an interpreter.”  
“We don’t know where they’re from.”  
“They’ll know what to do.” He got his arm around her and guided her slowly out of the house.   
“This is a crime scene, we have to process it.”  
“Dayshift will come in. We go back to the lab.”  
“But…”  
“Sara, we won’t process this scene, they shoot at us, we’re out. Get in the car.”

After a coffee Sara felt better. She walked to Grissom’s office. Her supervisor was on the phone and signed her to have a seat. Immediately her mind wandered off. She wanted to go to Desert Palms and see Sofia. There was no reason for her to be here when her friend was in hospital and needed her.   
“Sara?”  
“Sorry.” She hadn’t heard that he had finished his phone call.   
“Are you alright?”  
“Yeah, I’m…I can cope. Do you want me to write me report now?”  
“Now.”  
“But…”  
“I know it’s procedure. I think we can make an exception today. Nevertheless I have to tell you as your supervisor that you’re not supposed to give your vest away. Especially not when there’s gunfire around us…”  
“Gil, she wanted in and I was going downstairs, I didn’t need the vest…”  
“It’s a rule to keep on your vest, Sara.”  
“I know.” A stupid rule.   
He got up, walked around the desk to her. “As your supervisor I need to tell you that you violated the rules – again. I have to tell you if you do that again there might consequences and I’ve to reprove your for that.” He got down to be face to face with her. “Do you feel reproved for all what you did?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good.” He smiled. “That was what you supervisor had to tell you. And now let me say you as your friend and your supervisor, I’m very glad you did what you did. You might have saved Sofia’s life by giving her your vest. It’s true, she needed it more than you and no time to get her own. You did everything right, Sara. You saved her, you probably saved Jim too because he needed Sofia’s help. Thanks for saving my friends lives.” He hugged her.   
“Gil…”  
“I’m sorry I had to do the first speech, you know, politics.” He kissed her cheek. “And now get the hell out of here and see Sofia. She’ll need you and you need to see her. I can see your thoughts are only with her.”  
“Thanks.” She smiled relieved. Of course he wasn’t mad at her.   
“Sara?”  
“Yeah?” She stopped in front of his door.  
“I’m glad you’re alright too. I don’t to imagine to lose you.”  
“Same to you, Gil. And call Heather for Christ’s sake. You can do your paperwork and politics later, see her and have lunch with her. Or whatever.”  
“I’ll consider that.” He smiled.   
“Good. You better have seen her before I see her the next time.” Sara blinked at him and left. Without paying attention to the people around her, she made her way as fast as possible to the car park, got in her car and drove to the Desert Palms.   
“Sara Sidle, I’m with the crime lab, I need to see Sofia Curtis. Detective Curtis.” She demanded at the front desk.   
“One of your colleagues is already upstairs. Room 5 – 3 – 5. Take the elevator to the fifth floor and left.”  
“Thanks.” Sara hated elevators, she hated hospitals, she hated the smell here. Right now she hated most the waiting. For the elevator to come, for the doors to close and open again.   
Ignoring again all people around her, her eyes pinned on the numbers on the door, she walked fast the hallway down. Why gave a hospital her every time the feeling of being ill? Weren’t these places there to make you feel better? Well, it was the opposite with her. She felt sick and/or reminded of her childhood when visits in a hospital was something that happened more often to her than a visit in a cinema or a museum.   
She wasn’t sure if she had really waited until she was called into the room, she knocked and the next thing she realized was, she was in the room. Sofia was on a bed, no doctor or nurse around her.   
Wordless Sara went to her, got Sofia in her arms and pulled her deep in her arms. There she was, her friend. She was alright. Nothing suggested that Sofia was seriously harmed. Finally the tears were coming and Sara had no intention to stop them.   
“Could you let me go only a tiny bit?” Sofia gasped. “Please. Half an inch?”  
“No.” Sara denied. She didn’t want to let do. Right now she wanted to have Sofia as close as possible.   
“Sara, you hurt me if you go on like that.”   
Immediately Sara let Sofia go and stepped back.   
“Not so far, stupid.” Sofia took Sara’s hand with her right hand and opened her hospital shirt a little bit with her left hand.   
“This one is a little bit painful when there’s pressure on it.” A bruise was on the belly of the blonde. “It’s growing and I called it Sara because I’ve got it because of you.”  
“Me?”   
“Yeah, your vest. Two bullets next to each other. Without your vest I wouldn’t be the best looking patient. I’d be with Doc Robbins.”  
“You’d be the best looking body he ever had.” Sara smiled a little bit. Sofia was smug again, the blonde couldn’t be too bad.   
“I know but the thought he sees me naked is a little bit disturbing.”  
“It’s more than disturbing.”  
“So let’s be happy I’m the best looking patient. And get me in your arms again, Grumpy Smurf. Now!”   
“Smuggy.” Sara got Sofia back in her arms.   
“Stop crying, there is no reason t cry.” Sofia caught a tear with her finger.   
“When Brass called officer down, I thought you were dead and I wanted to be dead too.”  
“Why?”  
“I don’t want to go on without you. Where’s the sense in life when you lose your best friend? And a trip to Waikiki.” Sara added to make it sound less dramatically.   
“If you get my apartment you can go to Waikiki. You have no idea how my will looks like.”  
“I don’t want to be in your will, I want to be with you in Waikiki.”  
“Consider yourself as lucky, you’ll get both. And now get me out of here.”  
“Can you…?”  
“Sure. I need my clothes and I can go. They said I’m fine, will feel sore the next few days, especially around my colorful Sara, but I’ll survive. And I need to take a day or two off.”  
“I don’t like that you call a bruise after me.”  
“Get used to it. I even took a photo of it and I’ll take one every day. Imagine how it will look tomorrow.”  
“You’re sick.” Sara laughed.   
“No, sssshhh, don’t say that here.” Sofia grabbed her clothes. “I’m sorry but I don’t have your vest anymore. There was a CSI – the wrong CSI, not mine – and took it with him. Evidence.”  
“That’s alright, I got my trouble already for giving away my vest.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes, Grissom told me off; officially.”  
“An unofficially?”  
“He thanked me for saving his friends lives.”  
“As soon as I’m better I’ll tell you off too.” Sofia took Sara’s hand. “Come on, I need to sign at the front desk and then I could need somebody to drive me home.”  
“I could be that somebody.”  
“That’s what I hoped for.”  
The man at the front desk didn’t want to let Sofia go first because she hadn’t seen her doctor after the examination.   
“Well, I was waiting for an hour, tell my doctor I’m home. I feel fine, I sign whatever you need to let me go and you can give my bed to somebody who needs it. I’ve got all I need.”  
“It’s you own responsibility.”  
“That’s alright.” Sofia signed a form that she wanted to leave the hospital without the last words of her doctor.   
“Home?” Sara asked when they were in her car.  
“Yes. Could you do me two favors?”  
“To the one I’m already doing you?” Sara smirked. “Let me hear.”  
“First, could we stop at Ben’s Best Burgers? It after noon and I’m starving and I don’t want a coffee and a bagel, I want something fatty, unhealthy, some burger I can never manage to finish, a bowl of French fries with too much salt and a gallon of coke that I’ll drink before I’ve the same amount of beer later at home.”  
“Except for the beer we can do that. You’re on pain killer, you can’t drink.”  
“Spoilsport.”   
“What’s the second favor?”  
“Would you stay with me? I know, we barely spent any time separated this week and you’re sick and tired of me right now…”  
“Shut up. I had no other intention than staying with you, Sofia.”  
“Thanks.”  
“So Ben’s Best Burger?”  
“Yes. Please.”  
“I hope they sell salad.”  
“They do, but the burgers are better.”  
“Of course they are.” Sara held Sofia’s hand while she navigated her car to the drive through of the fast food restaurant.   
Sofia got her x-large burger and Sara wondered how many burgers the blonde got when she took the bag with their food. It looked bigger than bags for whole families.   
“Do you want a shower first? I’ll make you your favorite dressing and mix us a few non alcoholic cocktails.” Sofia offered.   
“Sounds good to me.” Sara put the bag on the table and went into Sofia’s bathroom. Like the blonde in Sara’s apartment, had Sara some of her clothes in Sofia’s apartment. It was no problem to change here, there were enough clothes for a whole week.   
When she came back in the kitchen Sofia had set everything on the sofa.   
“Where’s the food?”  
“Oven. I kept it warm and your salad in the fridge. Care for some croutons on your salad?”  
“Do I get spoiled today?”  
“A little bit.”  
“Yes, I’d love to have croutons.”  
“Good. I also boiled an egg for you. Your salad looked so…poor, I thought I’m gonna pimp your salad.”  
“Cheese?”  
“Of course. Have a seat on the sofa.”  
“You’re the one who fresh out of the hospital.”  
“Yes, I’m out of it, so I can be treated like a human.” Sofia pushed Sara towards the couch. “Take the cocktails with you, will you?”  
“Sure.” She waited until Sofia had placed all the food in front of them. The burger was huge, Sara guessed over a pound of meat.   
“You’ll never be able to eat that all.” Mayonnaise and tomato sauce were all over her Sofia’s French fries.   
“I know, food for two days.”  
“You wanna warm that up?”  
“Yes.”  
“You’re disgusting.”  
“I know.” Sofia tried to get her burger between her jaws and failed pitiful. She managed to get a slice of meat, some tomato and a piece of cucumber, the rest dropped onto her plate.   
“Need fork and knife?”  
“It’s fast food, you don’t use fork and knife for fast food.”   
“No, you make a mess out of your plate and your face.”  
“Eat your salad.” Sara threw a slice of tomato on Sara’s salad.   
“I will. I can even lean back while I eat.” Sara leant back on the sofa with the salad on her lap.   
“So can I.” Sofia dropped some fries on her plate, leant back, snuggled onto Sara’s shoulder and started to eat her burger layer by layer.   
“You’re red and white.” Sara took a salad leaf and got with it some of the mayonnaise from Sofia’s cheek.   
“Do I look good with it?”  
“Is there anything you don’t look good with?”  
“Actually no.” She grinned. “Even with my own Sara.”  
“Could you find another name for your bruise?”  
“No. I’m very glad I have it. It was the bruise or two bullet holes.”  
“The next time you take your vest with you.”  
“I think you are the only who wears the vest all the time.”  
“I know why.”  
“You’re a smart woman.” Sofia finished another meat layer. Next on her list were the cheese slices and the bread. Without a second look she left the vegetables on the plate and got her attention back to the fries. If she could help it, she would ignore all these pseudo healthy things and eat the real things. Nobody bought a burger because of the tomato slices or the cucumber. They all wanted the meat and so did Sofia.   
“The tomato won’t kill you.”  
“I know. Neither will the fries.”   
“Like a child.”  
“Careless and free.”  
“Dirty and stubborn.”  
Sara got up and got some paper towels for Sofia.   
“Thanks mom.”  
“If I’d be your mom you wouldn’t eat this stuff.”  
“I’ve never thought I’d be thankful to have my mom.” Sofia grinned and put her plate away.   
“I’ll remind all these nasty little comments, Sofia.”  
“Of course you do.” Sofia got Sara’s empty plate away and climbed in her arms, putting her own arms around Sara’s neck, resting her head on the brunette’s shoulder.   
“Tired?” Sara asked.   
“Mhm. It was a long shift.”  
“It was a hard shift with thankfully a happy end.”  
“Thanks to you.”  
“I’ve to take care of my detective.”  
“No, it’s not your job.”  
“It’s my job to take care of my friends. And if my best friend happens to be a detective, well I’ve to take care of her. I don’t want to lose her.”  
“I don’t want to lose you, Sara.” Sofia kissed Sara’s cheek. “Thanks again for the vest and saving my life.”  
“I’d do it anytime again.”  
“I hope so.”  
“The next time you take better care.”  
“I promise.”  
“Good. I don’t want to lose you, Sofia. I love you too much.”  
“I love you too.” Sofia held on close to Sara. “Could you do me another favor?”  
“Which one?”  
“Stay with me and don’t sleep on the sofa. I would like to be in your arms so that I’ll know in my dreams I’m still alive and when the nightmares come and I’ll get shot, a part of me will remember I’m alive and you’re there.”  
“I’ll stay with you.”  
“Thanks. Do you carry me?”  
“No.” Sara laughed.   
“Why not?”  
“We’re not married, I don’t carry you over the threshold.”  
“Pity. But hey, we’re in Vegas, we can do that within an hour.”  
“I think I prefer just to sleep with you.”  
“That sounds…”  
“Sleep with you in one bed and meaning real sleep.”  
“…relaxing.”  
“Have you always been that dirty and nasty?”  
“Yes.”   
“Thought so.” Sara pushed Sofia from her lap and got up. “Come on, time to brush your teeth and some sleep.”  
“Yes mom.”  
“Don’t mom me.”  
“No sexy.” Sofia slapped Sara’s ass.  
“Sofia Curtis, one more thing like this and you’ll be in trouble.”  
“Can’t wait for it.” Sofia grinned, hugged Sara and kissed her lips. “Punish me, baby. I always wanted to be punished by you in bed.”  
“I should leave.”  
“You won’t.”  
“I know, that’s the disaster.” Sara smiled. “Bed. Now!”  
“I love it when she sends me to bed – with her.”   
“Shut up!” Five minutes later they were in Sofia’s bed, the blonde snuggling in Sara’s arms.   
“Are you comfortable?” Sofia asked.  
“Yes. Are you?”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Good. Get some sleep, we’ve got around eight hours.”  
“I’ve the next two nights off. Would you like to stay here? I’d wait for you tomorrow morning with breakfast.”  
“I can do that.”  
“Thanks. Sleep tight, Sara. Love you.”  
“I love you too, Sofia. Don’t get any nightmare, I’m here to take care of you.” Sara kissed Sofia’s earlobe. “I’m happy to have you here and not to see you anywhere else.”  
“All your fault that you’re now on my bed.” Sofia took Sara’s hands in hers and closed her eyes. Sara had saved her life, she was her guardian angel. And now her guardian angel was with her and would make sure, she was alright. Sofia really doubted she could find a better friend than Sara.


End file.
